Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is satisfied with Japan’s test results on the Fukushima treated nuclear waste water released into the Pacific ocean more than a year ago.
Japan government officials has confirmed that it has continued to update Pacific Island leaders including Rabuka about the test results showing no presence of radioactive elements in the treated wastewater until today.
“We are updated, as promised and all other Pacific island leaders too, we had expressed our confidence in the National and Independent Scientific Experts carrying out their verifications,” Rabuka said.
“The reports in March and April this year confirm that the discharged water met with all International Atomic Energy Agency’s requirements and I am satisfied about it.
“We had pre-release protests from some NGO’s, churches and environmental groups but they have died down,” he said.
Japan’s Director for Country Assistance Planning, Kamoshida Naoaki has reiterated Japan’s commitment to working with Fiji and other Pacific Island Countries (PICS) has always been a priority.
In the lead up to next month’s PALM 10 meeting of Pacific leaders in Tokyo, Naoaki said this meeting will relook at Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the Pacific including Fiji and they have given a US$3.3m grant to Fiji between 2017 and 2022.
“Fiji is an important partner of Japan and as a regional hub, it plays a central role in regional cooperation with offices of many regional and international organisations,” he said.
“Fiji has small development challenges due to its small domestic market and geographic distance from international markets and vulnerable to natural disasters.
“So our priority areas for Japan are infrastructure development in Fiji, climate change and environmental measures and the improvement of the quality of social services.”
Rabuka will attend the PALM 10 meeting of Pacific leaders to be held in Tokyo next month.
