ID :
184952
Fri, 05/27/2011 - 20:50
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/184952
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G-8 leaders agree on need for better int'l nuclear standards
DEAUVILLE, France, May 27 Kyodo - Leaders from the Group of Eight major powers agreed Friday on the need to better define international standards for nuclear safety and further cooperate in assisting emerging Arab democracies during their two-day meeting in the French seaside resort of Deauville.
The G-8 leaders stated in their joint declaration their readiness to stand by Japan as it rebuilds from the March 11 catastrophic earthquake and resulting tsunami, which crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, leading to the worst nuclear accident in 25 years.
''The events in Japan confirm that there is a continuing need to re-evaluate safety and we recognize the importance of learning from the Fukushima accident and its aftermath,'' the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States said.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan told a news conference after the summit that he has reconfirmed Japan's strong ties with the rest of the world and he ''very much appreciated'' all the support and warm words he received from his counterparts.
In addition to enhancing the International Atomic Energy Agency's role in formulating better frameworks for nuclear safety, the leaders urged that ''periodic review of safety assessments'' must be carried out in countries having atomic facilities.
In the process of improving the present safety rules, the G-8 countries said the IAEA must consider developing additional standards for the construction and operations of nuclear power plants in seismically hazardous areas.
While France, the chair of this year's summit, has made it clear that it would not phase out nuclear energy, despite the ongoing accident at the Fukushima plant, the G-8 countries acknowledged each country has a different approach on how to secure energy sources.
The first part of the communique was dedicated to Japan. The leaders said, ''We are fully confident in the ability of Japan to swiftly recover from this crisis and come back stronger,'' and that they are prepared to provide further assistance and cooperation.
Kan pledged to provide all necessary information regarding the nuclear crisis to the rest of the world and guaranteed that products exported from Japan are safe.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and other G-8 leaders said that ''measures on goods and travel should be based on scientific evidence,'' and not based on rumors or other inaccurate information.
The recent democratic movements in the Middle East and North Africa also dominated their discussions.
They issued a separate statement, saying the changes under way in the two regions are ''historic and have the potential to open the door to the kind of transformation that occurred in Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall.''
The leaders, who held discussions with the leaders of Egypt and Tunisia on Friday, voiced their support for the aspirations of the so-called ''Arab Spring'' and increasing signs of democratic developments in Iran.
As part of support efforts, they said multilateral development banks could provide over $20 billion for Egypt and Tunisia between 2011 and 2013.
Among other matters, they called on Libya to immediately stop the use of force against its civilians and seek a political solution that reflects the will of its people, and expressed strong concerns over the violent situations in Syria and Yemen.
The leaders showed their resolve to eradicate any form of inhumane and unjustifiable act and said the killing of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden represents a ''significant step in the fight against international terrorism.''
With regard to other regional issues, they denounced the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran.
They said North Korea must take ''concrete action'' to lay the ground for the resumption of the long-stalled six-party talks on Pyongyang's denuclearization involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.
As for North Korea, they also urged it to address humanitarian concerns, such as its abductions of Japanese and other foreign nationals.
On the world economy, they said the current recovery is ''gaining strength and is becoming more self-sustained,'' but downside risks, such as rising commodity prices and European debt woes, persist.
The G-8 leaders stated in their joint declaration their readiness to stand by Japan as it rebuilds from the March 11 catastrophic earthquake and resulting tsunami, which crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, leading to the worst nuclear accident in 25 years.
''The events in Japan confirm that there is a continuing need to re-evaluate safety and we recognize the importance of learning from the Fukushima accident and its aftermath,'' the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States said.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan told a news conference after the summit that he has reconfirmed Japan's strong ties with the rest of the world and he ''very much appreciated'' all the support and warm words he received from his counterparts.
In addition to enhancing the International Atomic Energy Agency's role in formulating better frameworks for nuclear safety, the leaders urged that ''periodic review of safety assessments'' must be carried out in countries having atomic facilities.
In the process of improving the present safety rules, the G-8 countries said the IAEA must consider developing additional standards for the construction and operations of nuclear power plants in seismically hazardous areas.
While France, the chair of this year's summit, has made it clear that it would not phase out nuclear energy, despite the ongoing accident at the Fukushima plant, the G-8 countries acknowledged each country has a different approach on how to secure energy sources.
The first part of the communique was dedicated to Japan. The leaders said, ''We are fully confident in the ability of Japan to swiftly recover from this crisis and come back stronger,'' and that they are prepared to provide further assistance and cooperation.
Kan pledged to provide all necessary information regarding the nuclear crisis to the rest of the world and guaranteed that products exported from Japan are safe.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and other G-8 leaders said that ''measures on goods and travel should be based on scientific evidence,'' and not based on rumors or other inaccurate information.
The recent democratic movements in the Middle East and North Africa also dominated their discussions.
They issued a separate statement, saying the changes under way in the two regions are ''historic and have the potential to open the door to the kind of transformation that occurred in Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall.''
The leaders, who held discussions with the leaders of Egypt and Tunisia on Friday, voiced their support for the aspirations of the so-called ''Arab Spring'' and increasing signs of democratic developments in Iran.
As part of support efforts, they said multilateral development banks could provide over $20 billion for Egypt and Tunisia between 2011 and 2013.
Among other matters, they called on Libya to immediately stop the use of force against its civilians and seek a political solution that reflects the will of its people, and expressed strong concerns over the violent situations in Syria and Yemen.
The leaders showed their resolve to eradicate any form of inhumane and unjustifiable act and said the killing of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden represents a ''significant step in the fight against international terrorism.''
With regard to other regional issues, they denounced the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran.
They said North Korea must take ''concrete action'' to lay the ground for the resumption of the long-stalled six-party talks on Pyongyang's denuclearization involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.
As for North Korea, they also urged it to address humanitarian concerns, such as its abductions of Japanese and other foreign nationals.
On the world economy, they said the current recovery is ''gaining strength and is becoming more self-sustained,'' but downside risks, such as rising commodity prices and European debt woes, persist.
