Arab News Japan

DUBAI: The 11^th meeting of the Japan-France nuclear cooperation committee was held in Tokyo on March 6 under the co-chairmanship of KAIFU Atsushi and Francois Jacq, director general for disarmament, non-proliferation and science department and chairman and executive officer of the alternative energies and atomic energy commissions (CEA) respectively.

The Japan-France joint declaration on nuclear energy and energy policy was issued at the Japan-France summit meeting back in 2011 with the purpose of strengthening bilateral relations in all areas related to nuclear energy.

This was achieved by establishing a committee that is made up of participants from both Japan and France; the first meeting was held in 2012 in Tokyo and this year marks the 11^th meeting held in Tokyo as well.

A wide range of nuclear energy issues was discussed in this meeting, such as, nuclear policies of both countries, fast and advanced nuclear reactors, nuclear safety cooperation, nuclear emergency preparedness and response, along with critical focus of the status of decommissioning of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, which is a disabled nuclear power plant located in Fukushima prefecture in Japan.

After the great east Japan earthquake in 2011, a severe nuclear accident occurred causing three out of the six nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to release hydrogen and radioactive materials.

The discharge of the ALPS water into the sea was also a topic of importance; on March 7^th Jacq and his delegation went to visit the TEPCO’s Fukushima power station and to observe the preparation for the discharge of the ALPS treated water into the sea.

France gave its support to Japan for its efforts and its compliance to international nuclear safety and radio protection standards.