HANOI, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam decided Tuesday to stop its first nuclear power plant project in southern Ninh Thuan province "not because of technology or safety reasons but due to the country's current economic situation," said Mai Tien Dung, Minister, Chairman of the Office of Vietnamese government.
Dung made the remarks at a press conference late Tuesday after some 92 percent of Vietnamese lawmakers adopted a resolution on stopping the project at the ongoing second session of Vietnam's 14th National Assembly (NA), reported the state-run news agency VNA.
According to Dung, Vietnam's macro-economy has had different development compared to the time when investment into the project was decided.
On the other hand, Vietnam needs a great deal of capital for synchronous and modern infrastructure construction, which will provide impetus for socio-economic development as well as to deal with problems triggered by climate change, said Dung.
"It is a policy of Vietnamese NA to re-consider prioritized projects, save resources to develop key national projects such as the North-South Expressway, high-speed railway, coastal roads, and southern Long Thanh international airport among others," Dung told reporters.
According to Hoang Cong Vuong, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, "To stop Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant project is a tough but right decision. Thanks to the move, we can learn the lesson to increase capacities of officials, especially those working in strategic planning."
