Russia First in Line If Vietnam Decides to Restore Nuclear Program - Hanoi Gov't

Russia will receive first priority consideration should Vietnam decide to pursue nuclear energy in future, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's government said in a statement published on its website Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Lawmakers in Vietnam' 498-member unicameral National Assembly voted to scrap the Southeast Asian country's nuclear program earlier in the day. The Vietnamese government explained that the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant project was canceled because of the country's "current economic conditions."

"The Vietnamese government highly appreciates the goodwill and support of the Russian and Japanese governments in the course of the preparations for projects. Vietnam assured Russia and Japan that they are key partners and will receive priority if Vietnam decides to build nuclear power plants in the future, and confirmed that canceling the project will not affect relations with Russia and Japan," the government said.

Russia planned to supply two units for a power plant project in the southern Ninh Thuan province. Its launch was planned for 2020 before Vietnam asked to move the start of construction to that year. In early November, the Vietnamese government announced its decision to withdraw from the contract due to a tight fiscal situation.

Vietnam is the latest in a line of several countries to suspend nuclear development in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident, which led to the ongoing collapse in uranium prices and skepticism in nuclear industry.