Japan, Germany to work to enhance nuclear safety standards

TOKYO, April 2 Kyodo - Japan and Germany agreed Saturday that they will work toward enhancing nuclear safety standards in the wake of a crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi atomic power station caused by the catastrophic March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto said at a joint press conference with his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle that Tokyo will ''verify the accident and implement steps to bolster nuclear safety'' once the ongoing crisis is resolved.
''We'd like to contribute to the international community by sharing our experience,'' he said.
The German minister, who doubles as deputy chancellor, said he believes it is important to establish international nuclear safety standards at the International Atomic Energy Agency and prodded Japan to ''disclose information (on the Fukushima crisis) with maximum transparency.''
The Japanese minister gave assurance that Tokyo will keep updating the world with new developments at the Fukushima plant and called for a ''calm response'' by the international community.
Matsumoto said that German-made trucks with a concrete squeeze pump equipped with a long arm have been playing ''a definitely important role'' at the plant to pour coolant water from a higher point and sought further assistance from the country.
Westerwelle said Germany is set to send to the Fukushima plant more trucks nicknamed as ''giraffe'' that can inject water from a point of 70 meters high to help cool pools storing spent nuclear fuel at the site. The trucks are products of Putzmeister Group, a German machinery maker.
The two ministers said they agreed to work toward the launch of negotiations to seal a free trade agreement between Japan and the 27-member European Union as a way of backing Japan's reconstruction efforts.
''I think achieving progress in our efforts to start the Japan-EU FTA talks will contribute to rebuilding our nation's economy,'' Matsumoto said, while Westerwelle said he also believes setting up the FTA talks is an ''increasingly urgent task'' between the two economies.
Japan is eager to start FTA talks with the regional bloc later this year, but some EU countries have shown reluctance, saying Tokyo needs to eliminate nontariff barriers.
In connection with the Fukushima nuclear emergency, German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised Prime Minister Naoto Kan last Wednesday that Germany supports Japan in every way in coping with the contingency and offered to the premier over the phone to send remote-controlled robots that can engage in repair works of reactors.
Japan has yet to accept the offer as it needs to examine the specifications of the robots, according to Japanese officials.
The Fukushima crisis has affected German nuclear energy policy as surges in movements against atomic power generation have led to the review of Berlin's plan to extend the operation of the nation's nuclear plants beyond 2020 and crushing defeats of the ruling parties promoting nuclear power in local elections.
Following the devastating quake and tsunami that struck eastern and northeastern Japan, Germany dispatched a rescue team to the town of Minamisanriku in Miyagi Prefecture, one of the hardest-hit coastal municipalities.
In addition to post-disaster cooperation, Matsumoto and Westerwelle also agreed to work closely together to promote nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation as well as reform of the U.N. Security Council and to deepen bilateral ties on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of friendship this year.
Bilateral diplomatic relations began in 1861, when Japan and the then state of Prussia signed a treaty of amity and commerce.