Press Releases
Online Courtesy Call on Mr. UESUGI Kentaro, Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs,
by Ms. Lydie Evrard, Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
February 17, 2022
On February 17, commencing at 13:00, for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. UESUGI Kentaro, Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, received an online courtesy call by Ms. Lydie Evrard, Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who is visiting Japan for an IAEA’s Safety Review on ALPS treated water at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS). The overview is as follows:
- Mr. UESUGI expressed his gratitude for the assistance that the IAEA has provided to Japan on the handling of the ALPS treated water at TEPCO’s FDNPS and to holding the International Conference on A Decade of Progress After Fukushima Daiichi: Building on Lessons Learned to Further Strengthen Nuclear Safety held in Vienna in November 2021. He also extended his appreciation to the IAEA in advancing cooperation with Japan including the Safety Review of the ALPS Treated Water.
- In addition, Mr. UESUGI stated the cooperation with the IAEA is extremely important to enhance the transparency on handling of the ALPS treated water at TEPCO’s FDNPS and gain understandings from inside and outside of Japan. He mentioned that Japan has been thoroughly explaining its efforts to the international community in a highly transparent manner based on scientific evidence and will continue to do so by coordinating with the IAEA.
- Deputy Director General Evrard stated that the IAEA will continue the very close cooperation with Japan on safety related matters, including the Safety Review of the ALPS Treated Water.
- Both sides exchanged views regarding Cancer Care through IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative and confirmed that Japan and the IAEA will closely cooperate in various fields. In this regard, Mr. Uesugi emphasized the importance of increasing the number of Japanese staff in the IAEA in order to further enhance the cooperation between Japan and the IAEA.
(Reference)ALPS-treated water
Water which is processed by devices such as ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) so that the radioactive materials other than tritium surely meet the regulatory standards for safety.