Japan Govt to Ask Diet to OK N-Damage Compensation Pact

Tokyo, Oct. 24 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government, at a cabinet meeting Friday, decided to seek a Diet approval for Japan's participation in an international treaty on compensation for cross-border damage caused by nuclear accidents. The cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also adopted bills to enable the ratification of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, hoping for the bills' enactment during the ongoing extraordinary Diet session. The United States and some other countries already have signed on the pact, known as CSC, set to go into force upon Japan's participation. Under the treaty, if a nuclear accident happens in a signatory country and if the total damage estimate surpasses a certain level, the other member nations will provide funds to help the accident-hit country pay damages fully. To secure such funds, the Japanese government plans to solicit contributions from domestic nuclear power plant operators. The CSC is not applicable to compensation being paid by Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> for those who were affected by the March 2011 nuclear accident at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant. But Japan decided to take part in establishing the international nuclear damage compensation framework in light of its responsibility as a country that caused a nuclear accident, government officials said, adding the country will call on other Asian nations to join. END