Tokyo, July 16 (EFE).- The leaders of 18 countries and island regions of the Pacific inaugurated Tuesday in Tokyo a three-day summit to address common challenges, including the sea discharge of treated Fukushima nuclear plant water and China’s growing influence in the region.
This is the 10th triennial Pacific Island Leaders Meeting, which this year takes place against a backdrop of increasing efforts by China to increase its presence in the region through infrastructure projects and military installations.
“It is expected to talk about the change in the situation in the region and in the world and to strengthen the relationship and cooperation based on the bond between Japan and the Pacific territories,” Japanese government Spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will lead a reception ceremony for participants Tuesday and hold bilateral meetings with the different leaders until Wednesday to address issues such as climate change, natural disasters and maritime security.
Japan’s foreign office announced in a statement some of the meetings that would take place during the summit and among them are bilateral meetings between Kishida and leaders of the island countries Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, as well as with the island territory of Niue.
Additionally, there will be a meeting of the Japan-Pacific Islands Parliamentary Friendship League and a meeting of PALM10 participants with local governors from different regions.
Kishida is also expected to announce that Japan is ready to provide real-time satellite weather data to help island nations improve their preparedness measures for natural disasters, according to Japanese media.
Hayashi said that, during the summit, Japan would “scientifically explain” the “safety” of the discharge of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which was damaged in 2011. It will ask for “understanding” in the process, which began in August 2023 and generated firm protests from Pacific countries.
The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, announced Tuesday it completed the seventh round of discharges of 7,800 tons of water, which marks the third of the seven rounds planned for fiscal year 2024.
All of these discharges have met the safety standards set by the Japanese Executive and corroborated by the International Organization for Atomic Energy, according to data made public on the level of radioactive waste in the waters, which have also been verified by independent laboratories. EFE
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