Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Japan PM Reassures G8 over Nuclear Clean-Up

Japan PM Reassures G8 over Nuclear Clean-Up

DEAUVILLE, France – Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan used a G8 summit in France to reassure Tokyo's most powerful allies Friday that his country would learn the lessons of its nuclear disaster and recover fully.
Kan, making his first foreign visit since his country's March 11 tsunami and nuclear meltdown, received a timely vote of confidence in Japan's recovery on Friday, and an offer of assistance.

"We are fully confident in the ability of the Japanese authorities to respond to the challenge and build a speedy and lasting recovery, and we stand ready to assist as needed," the final declaration of the summit said.
"Japan will definitely recover, and would like to play a bigger than ever role" in pushing for green energy, Kan said in bilateral talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to a Japanese official.
Kan used the summit to announce plans to host a global meeting on nuclear safety in Japan next year, and pledged to boost Tokyo's share of green energy to 20 percent of total power supply by 2020.

"What we've learnt from the earthquake and tsunami is that we should not fear nature, but should live harmoniously with it, harnessing to the maximum what nature has to offer us," Kan told the leaders in France after announcing Tokyo's green energy plans.In addition to nuclear power and fossil fuels, the two pillars of Japan's energy policy, the government needs to develop renewable energy and energy conservation as two additional pillars, he added.
"It is our historic responsibility to transmit the lessons to people around the world and to future generations."
Tokyo also aims to bring down the cost of solar power generation to a third of its present level by 2020 and to a sixth by 2030, he said, adding that the government aims to install solar panels in 10 million households. (AFP)