Press Releases

1. On October 24, commencing at 15:10 for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. Kentaro Sonoura, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, received a courtesy call from six governors and other officials (Côte d'Ivoire, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Singapore, the Netherlands, Mexico and Algeria) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) currently visiting Japan. The overview of the meeting is as follows:

2. At the beginning, State Minister Kentaro Sonoura welcomed the visit of the governors and officials to Japan, and expressed his hope that they would deepen their understanding of Japan’s efforts for peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including the advanced use of radiation and the country’s efforts following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident. State Minister Sonoura also stated that Japan is firmly aware of its responsibility as an original Member State of the IAEA that marks its 60th anniversary and will assume further leadership in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He added that the role of the IAEA is important with regard to monitoring and verification on the process of final agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue, and Japan will closely cooperate with the IAEA members.

3. In response, the IAEA governors and other officials expressed their gratitude for the invitation to Japan. They stated that Japan is making important contributions to IAEA activities, and expressed their hope to strengthen the collaboration between Japan and their respective countries at the IAEA by taking advantage of this opportunity to deepen their understanding of Japan’s efforts for peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear safety.