Vietnam and ASEAN enhance capacity to respond to chemical, biological and radioactive incidents

On September 4-5 in Hanoi, the Chemical Corps ( Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam) coordinated with the Secretariat of the ASEAN Military Experts Network on CBR (radiation) to organize an international workshop with the theme: "Handling post-war toxic residues, responding to CBR incidents and environmental restoration technology" .

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dinh Thuan, Deputy Commander of the Chemical Corps, Vietnam and Dr. Daniel Noort, Head of Laboratory, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) moderated the discussion session (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

The workshop was organized to enhance professional capacity and share experiences between Vietnam and international friends on the current situation of toxic chemical pollution, treatment technologies as well as the ability to respond to chemical, biological and radiological incidents (CBR). This is considered a meaningful activity in the context of many threats to the environment and public health that exist globally.

The event attracted a large number of delegates, including ASEAN military experts on CBR from 10 member countries, and speakers from Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Representatives of diplomatic agencies such as the US Embassy, the Singapore Embassy, and many domestic agencies, research institutes and functional units such as the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Technology , the Military Medical Academy, the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center, the Department of Military Science, and the Department of Rescue and Relief also attended.

National Action Center Collective (NACCET) (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

Within the framework of the workshop, experts focused on discussing the harmful effects of chemical toxins on the environment and humans, introducing new technologies as well as the results of chemical toxic treatment in Vietnam in recent times. At the same time, many international experiences in organizing CBR incident response in Europe, the US and Southeast Asia were shared, contributing to broadening perspectives and improving multilateral coordination capacity.

One of the highlights is the group discussion combined with practice in handling a hypothetical chemical fire and explosion incident at Rang Dong Light Bulb and Thermos Joint Stock Company. This activity helps the participating forces improve their skills in operating the response system in an emergency situation, which is at risk of spreading and directly affecting public health and the environment. Thereby, the parties also have the opportunity to draw practical lessons and experiences from serious environmental incidents that have occurred at home and abroad.

Speaking at the workshop, Major General Nguyen Dinh Hien - Commander of the Chemical Corps emphasized: "This workshop is an important event within the framework of ASEAN defense cooperation, contributing to the best preparation for responding to CBR incidents that may occur in the future."

Major General Nguyen Dinh Hien, Commander of the Chemical Corps, Director General of the National Action Center (NACCET) (Photo by PV/Vietnam+)

Organizing the workshop not only demonstrates Vietnam's strong commitment to defense cooperation with ASEAN countries, but also affirms joint efforts in protecting the environment and ensuring community safety against threats from chemical, biological and radioactive incidents in the context of globalization./.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-cung-asean-nang-cao-nang-luc-ung-pho-su-co-hoa-hoc-sinh-hoc-phong-xa-post1059927.vnp