In Tokyo, on 16 December, 2016, Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, Hiroshige Seko, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, and Hirokazu Matsuno, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, signed a Memorandum of cooperation in peaceful uses of atomic energy. The Memorandum was signed in the presence of Vladimir Putin, President of Russia and Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan.
One of the key cooperation areas specified in the Memorandum is the post-accident recovery at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, including radioactive waste management and possible decommissioning. Another major aspect in this memorandum is the emphasis put on considering the creation of a joint Russian-Japanese platform, which is to study the possibilities of facilitating personnel exchanges and sharing of ideas in order to promote innovative nuclear technologies using the knowledge and the experience of the two countries.
The Memorandum serves as a tool to support and promote new mutually beneficial cooperation areas of business and scientific interest. It reflects further development and strengthening of the cooperation between the two countries in the hi-tech area of nuclear energy use.
Background
In Tokyo, on May 12, 2009, Japan and Russia signed an agreement on cooperation in peaceful uses of atomic energy. The agreement was ratified by the Parliament of Russia and the Parliament of Japan at the end of 2010 and on December 6, 2011, respectively. Under the agreement, the countries may cooperate in such areas as uranium exploration and mining; design, construction and operation of light water reactors; radioactive waste processing and management; nuclear safety including radiation protection and environmental control; research and application of radioisotopes and radiation; other areas based on additional written agreements between the parties.
Rosatom has all competences and experience to assist Japan in completing the post-accident recovery at Fukushima-1 NPP, while being willing to become a partner of Japan in other possible joint mutually beneficial projects in the nuclear power area.