Notification for the Entry into Force of Japan-Russia Nuclear Cooperation Agreement

April 3, 2012
Japanese

On Tuesday, April 3, on the occasion of a courtesy call on Mr. Koichiro Gemba, Minister for Foreign Affairs by Mr. Sergey Vladilenovich Kirienko, Director General, State Atomic Energy Corporation, the Government of Japan and the Government of the Russian Federation informed each other that their respective internal procedures required for the entry into force of the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Russian Federation for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy had been completed. Accordingly, pursuant to the provision of this Agreement (Article 18.1), this Agreement will enter into force on Thursday, May 3, 2012. This Agreement was signed in Tokyo on May 12, 2009 and was approved in the Japanese Diet on December 9, 2011.
This Agreement provides the necessary legal framework for the realization of cooperation between Japan and the Russian Federation in the field of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the following is set forth therein:
(1) Use of nuclear material and nuclear-related material, equipment and technology only for peaceful purposes;
(2) Application of the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to nuclear material;
(3) Implementation of measures based on nuclear safety-related conventions;
(4) Application of measures for proper physical protection of nuclear material;
(5) Control on the transfer of nuclear material and nuclear-related material, equipment and technology beyond the jurisdiction of the Parties (third country transfer); and
(6) Control on enrichment (20% or more) and reprocessing of nuclear materials that are subject to this Agreement.
By concluding this Agreement, Japan and the Russian Federation will be able to legally ensure the non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear material and nuclear-related equipment and technology transferred between both countries. In addition, while this Agreement is not an arrangement about any specific business or project, the obligations of the Russian Federation to ensure the non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear material and nuclear-related material, equipment and technology transferred from Japan will be clearly set out by the conclusion of this Agreement. Furthermore, it will enable the promotion of cooperation based on this Agreement in such areas as the strengthening of nuclear safety.

(*The foregoing is a provisional translation. The date indicated above denotes the date of issue of the original press release in Japanese.)

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