February 6, 2023
On February 6, Minister Nishimura held a meeting with the delegation of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), led by Hon. Mark Brown, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. Hon. Henry Puna, Secretary General of the PIF Secretariat, also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Minister Nishimura mentioned at the outset that the Government of Japan has been providing assistance in a variety of areas in line with the needs of Pacific Island counties. They also exchanged views regarding the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Minister Nishimura explained that the safe discharge of ALPS treated water is essential for the decommissioning work necessary for the reconstruction of Fukushima, and that it will never cause any harmful impact on Japan or the Pacific region because it will be strictly done under internationally accepted approaches and in full compliance with safety standards.
Minister Nishimura also reconfirmed that he takes seriously the concerns expressed by the Pacific Island countries and regions, and as promised by former Prime Minister Suga at The 9th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM 9), will continue to receive objective confirmation by the IAEA and provide Pacific Island countries and regions with explanations based on scientific evidence in a highly transparent manner and in good faith. They agreed that they will continue to build a stronger cooperative relationship between Japan and Pacific Island countries and regions based on mutual trust.
