Russia Courts Southeast Asia With Nuclear Offers to Malaysia as Vietnam Fast-Tracks Ninh Thuan-1 Agreements
The outreach links reactor proposals to concessional financing alongside broader trade ties across ASEAN.
Overview
- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk offered Malaysia options for large nuclear power plants and small modular reactors during talks with Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusuf in Kuala Lumpur.
- Vietnam’s prime minister Pham Minh Chinh and Overchuk agreed to accelerate negotiations to sign the agreements needed to start construction of the Ninh Thuan-1 plant, according to Vietnam’s news agency.
- Vietnam’s project was relaunched by the National Assembly in December 2024, and a May 2025 roadmap to 2030 envisions Rosatom’s participation in developing the country’s civilian nuclear sector.
- Ninh Thuan-1 has been planned around two VVER units of up to roughly 1.2 GW each supported by a Russian concessional loan, with final contracts and financing terms still to be concluded.
- Russia highlighted growing economic ties with Malaysia, citing a 32.1% rise in January–August 2025 trade to $2.47 billion and identifying energy, pharmaceuticals, industrial equipment and agriculture as export growth areas.