HANOI, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of the 17 countries that signed the Regional Co-operative Agreement (RCA) for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology for Asia and the Pacific are reviewing here the pact's implementation in the 2007-2008 period, according to local newspaper Vietnam News on Wednesday.

    At their three-day meeting in the capital of Hanoi, starting on April 8, the representatives are also to discuss food safety and nutrition, healthcare, industrial development, nuclear safety and environmental protection.

    Vietnam joined the RCA, which was formed in 1972, in 1981, and has since worked to boost the application of isotopic radioactivity in agriculture, industry, healthcare and environment.

    The cooperation between Vietnam and the RCA is important to raise the country's scientific and nuclear technology capacity, apply nuclear technology in socioeconomic development, and contribute to peaceful use of nuclear technology, the newspaper said.

    The 17 RCA member countries are Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.