Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) agreed to set up a working group for mutual discussion on U.S.-Japan cooperation for countries planning to build their first nuclear power stations. The two sides exchanged copies of a written agreement to this effect on October 25. The agreement calls for institution of a “working group on international nuclear power cooperation” under the U.S.-Japan Nuclear Energy Steering Committee, which was organized on the basis of the U.S.-Japan Joint Nuclear Energy Action Plan (JNEAP) in 2007.
The working group is to have the participation of the Japanese METI, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, as well as the U.S. DOE, Department of State, and Department of Commerce. There are expected to be three specific topics for discussion: 1) infrastructural conditioning in the markets of emerging nuclear countries, 2) governmental support for development of business by U.S. and Japanese companies in these markets, and 3) international cooperation in nuclear fuel services.
On the first topic (infrastructural conditioning), the two sides will discuss avenues of U.S.-Japan assistance with a focus on support for human resource development to assure nuclear safety and non-proliferation as well as systemic and infrastructural improvement. Regarding the second topic (support for overseas business development), the subject of discussion is anticipated to be approaches by both countries regarding the nuclear liability legislation in emerging countries. On the third topic (nuclear fuel services), the participants will exchange views on the construction of a framework for international cooperation.
The bilateral Steering Committee is a working-level meeting established on the basis of the JNEAP, which grew out of an agreement on the ministerial level in 2007. At the Steering Committee meeting held in March this year, the two sides reached an agreement on efforts to set up a new working group for further cooperation in third countries.
