Russian President Vladimir Putin said a Russian-designed nuclear power plant could supply Vietnamese businesses with large volumes of cheap and environmentally safe energy, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
Putin made the comment during a meeting with Vietnamese President To Lam at the Kremlin, where the two leaders discussed a range of state matters.
Putin said an intergovernmental agreement was signed in March on building a nuclear power plant of Russian design on Vietnamese territory, calling it a genuinely flagship bilateral project. He said the future plant would be able to supply the country's enterprises with large volumes of cheap and environmentally safe energy.
Nuclear science center planned
Putin also said Vietnam plans to build a Center for Nuclear Science and Technology in the near future. He added that the center would give a powerful boost to economic growth and create thousands of new high-tech, well-paid jobs.
Vietnam signed the intergovernmental agreement with Russia in March 2026 to build the country's first nuclear power plant using Russian technology, part of a broader push by Hanoi to diversify its energy supply as electricity demand rises with industrial growth.
Trade between the two countries
Putin noted separately that trade turnover between Russia and Vietnam grew by almost 6 percent in 2025. He said the pace of growth in mutual trade nearly doubled during the first six months of 2026 compared with the previous period.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi said Vietnam exports coffee, seafood, vegetables, cashew nuts and pepper to Russia. He added that consumer goods and textiles were also among the in-demand items shipped from Vietnam to Russia.
Deepening ties
The Kremlin talks come as Moscow and Hanoi continue to expand economic cooperation, with the nuclear plant project positioned as a centerpiece of that relationship. Vietnam and Russia have maintained close ties dating back to the Soviet era, and Hanoi has sought to balance partnerships with major powers while pursuing large-scale infrastructure and energy projects.
No timeline was given for construction of the nuclear plant or the nuclear science center.
