Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Acting President and Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC), participated in the plenary session of the summit titled “From a New Technological Rollout to a New Worldview” at the World Atomic Week Forum 2025 held on September 25 at the Atom Museum in Moscow, Russian Federation.
In his speech at the plenary session, the Acting President said that the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Atomic Energy Corporation of the Russian Federation (ROSATOM) for the use of nuclear energy in 2022 and the development of nuclear energy have laid the foundation for the development of nuclear energy. He added that the Nuclear Technology Information Center was opened in Yangon in February, thus helping to better understand the Russian nuclear plant and technology, which is rich in experience and leading in the nuclear field, among various media and the public.
At the same time, the Terms of Reference (ToR) for cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Science and Technology in the field of national nuclear infrastructure was signed. The ROSATOM and the Ministry of Science and Technology jointly organized the Science Festival 2023 and Science Festival 2024 at the Nuclear Technology Information Center and Yangon Technological University (YTU), which provided Myanmar students with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in nuclear technology. The scholarship program awarded by ROSATOM is supporting the continuous development of human resources for nuclear energy and nuclear technology, including the requirements for the Small Modular Reactor-SMR, said the Acting President.
Myanmar is implementing its nuclear energy program in accordance with the guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with three milestones and three phases, and is following ROSATOM’s timeline. Myanmar has been participating in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Technical Cooperation Program since it became a member state of the IAEA in 1957. The IAEA is cooperating with Myanmar by providing project funding, providing equipment, and improving infrastructure, as well as participating in technical cooperation programs for human resource development, providing technical training, and implementing technical cooperation projects, the Acting President said.
In addition, Myanmar attended a workshop on nuclear law organized by the IAEA in 2024 and that Myanmar is working on amending and implementing its nuclear law. In 2025, representatives from 18 countries, including Myanmar, attended a regional cooperation training course on the location of small-scale nuclear power plants for foreign experts in the implementation of national nuclear programs organized by the ROSATOM Academy of Technology and the IAEA. As a member state of the IAEA, Myanmar has been trying to use nuclear fields in Myanmar for many years, but has been slow due to various reasons. Since 2022, efforts have been made to accelerate cooperation with Russia and Russia’s support has made significant progress, said the Acting President.
Nuclear energy is a low-carbon green energy, so Myanmar aims to generate stable electricity from nuclear energy and develop the national economy. Myanmar has a high demand for electricity and is making efforts to provide electricity to small-scale industries and rural people. In addition, it will further develop the health, agriculture and industry sectors using nuclear technology. For the sustainable development of human resources, MoUs on cooperation in the education sector between Russian and Myanmar universities have been signed and are being processed, said the Acting President.
Similarly, Myanmar is working closely with ROSATOM to build a small-scale nuclear power plant as an initial step, and is willing to cooperate with the Russian Federation to expand the necessary infrastructure and other sectors. He strongly requests the Russian Federation and ROSATOM to continue to provide Myanmar with the necessary nuclear infrastructure, human resources, and other necessary activities to build a small-scale power plant in Myanmar, and that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continue to provide assistance in human resource development in Myanmar's nuclear energy implementation, said the Acting President.
In addition, Myanmar is willing to cooperate with the countries attending this international forum, World Atomic News Week, in relevant sectors related to nuclear technology, and invites them to enhance partnerships and cooperation with Myanmar, and wishes that nuclear energy can bring peace, prosperity and benefit to the people of the world, the Acting President said.
The “World Atomic Week Forum 2025” was attended by the President of the Russian Federation, the members of the Myanmar high-level delegation led by the Acting President, international leaders including the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of the Republic of Belarus, high-ranking government officials and heads of nuclear energy organizations, world-class experts, heads of the corporations, leaders of the CIS, Asia, Africa and Latin America, and representatives from 105 countries.
At the plenary session, the Acting President, international leaders, high-ranking government officials and attendees were welcomed by the Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation of the Russian Federation (ROSATOM) Mr. Alexey Likhachev and officials. The Director General of ROSATOM delivered an opening speech. The President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Republic of Belarus, the Prime Minister of Armenia, the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Director General of the IAEA, and other high-ranking international government officials, heads of nuclear energy organizations, and world-renowned experts also delivered speeches.
The World Atomic Week 2025 will be held by the Russian nuclear corporation ROSATOM from September 25 to 28 to mark the 80th anniversary of the domestic nuclear industry and to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear technology worldwide. The forum will bring together heads of state from countries implementing nuclear programs, leading world experts, heads of corporations, leaders from the CIS, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and representatives from 105 countries, discussing topics such as clean energy, advanced medicine, healthy environment, industrial innovation, ecology, digital technology, logistics, and science education will be discussed. Youth programs will be prioritized from September 27 to 28, and the Science and Education Funding Competition "Knowledge. First" led by the Russian Knowledge Association will be held, serving as an international discussion platform.
