On November 13, 2018, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Energy announced a Memorandum of Cooperation Concerning Research and Development and Industrial Cooperation in the Nuclear Energy Sector.
Background:
Japan and the United States have been advancing cooperation in the nuclear energy sector to propel the Japan-United States Strategic Energy Partnership (JUSEP), which was announced on November 6, 2017, in accordance with the Statement of Intent between the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and the Department of Energy of the United States of America Concerning Research and Development and Industrial Cooperation in the Area of Civil Nuclear Energy, which was announced on October 17, 2017.
Against this backdrop, Japan and the United States hereby release this MOC in order to further propel cooperative relationships in the nuclear energy sector.
Key points of the MOC:
In order to develop solutions to international issues such as climate change and energy security, it is indispensable that Japan and the United States endeavor to play leading roles in the nuclear energy sector. The MOC aims to confirm the importance of the ongoing Japan-US cooperation in the nuclear energy sector as well as the further advancement of the cooperation. Specifically, the MOC covers the following areas:
1.Cooperation on nuclear research and development, including innovative research;
2.Cooperation on decommissioning and back end fuel cycle management;
3.Industrial cooperation for safety improvement;
4.Contribution to global use of nuclear energy; and
5.Fora for continued engagement.
