Japan to Lead Global Nuclear Security Efforts: Abe

The Hague, Netherlands, March 24 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that his country aims to make every effort to ensure nuclear safety and prevent nuclear terrorism. Japan has a responsibility to lead efforts on strengthening nuclear security as it experienced the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Abe said. In a speech delivered at the two-day Nuclear Security Summit that opened in The Hague Monday, Abe said he himself will lead the efforts. He said Japan and the United States just released a joint statement that calls on all highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium currently used at a fast critical assembly at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency to be returned to the United States for disposal. The move is part of a U.S.-led effort to prevent materials that could be used for nuclear weapons from being obtained by terrorists and criminal groups. Japan will keep working to reduce the amount of nuclear materials, Abe said. The joint statement also calls on the two countries to jointly promote cutting-edge research on the use of alternative fuels. Abe said Japan is the only country to have suffered nuclear bombs in war and is also an advanced nuclear power country. Japan's use of nuclear power is strictly limited to peaceful purposes, he said. Abe said that Japan will accept a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency by spring next year to boost the protection of nuclear materials and nuclear-related facilities. He also suggested that the country will promote studies on cutting-edge technologies for nuclear forensics and detection at the JAEA and support personnel training in the nuclear field in Asia. END