JAPAN: French Prime Minister Francois Fillon and Prime Minister Naoto Kan agree on tougher global nuclear security standards

Record ID: 465230

  • Title: JAPAN: French Prime Minister Francois Fillon and Prime Minister Naoto Kan agree on tougher global nuclear security standards
  • Date: 17th July 2010
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JULY 16, 2010) (REUTERS) **CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** FRENCH PRIME MINISTER FRANCOIS FILLON AND JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER NAOTO KAN SHAKING HANDS MORE OF MINISTERS SHAKING HANDS DELEGATES TAKING SEATS FILLON SEATED AT TABLE JAPANESE, FRENCH AND EUROPEAN UNION FLAGS ON TABLE VARIOUS OF FILLON TALKING DELEGATES SEATED AT TABLE FILLON AND KAN WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE FILLON AND KAN AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRIME MINISTER, FRANCOIS FILLON, SAYING: "We shared an understanding derived from our common history as industrialised nations. We believe everything needs to be geared towards the stability of production and industry. We are not financial nations and financial speculation for us is not a means to an end. The financial system only makes sense if it is dedicated to the creation of goods and wealth." MORE OF FILLON AND KAN AT PODIUM FRENCH DELEGATES LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRIME MINISTER, FRANCOIS FILLON, SAYING: "We also agreed the nuclear industry needed to be of the highest safety standards. There is no place for low-cost nuclear industries and as even in the face of international competition, we need to have to courage to tell our clients and future clients - those that are likely to be our clients - that they can not be choose between bargain nuclear technology and nuclear products with all the security guarantees, which is what Japan and France does." FILLON AND KAN SHAKING HANDS AND LEAVING CONFERENCE HALL
  • Embargoed: 1st August 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA6WPZH6X5RYM2XV5ZZWF64ZY1G
  • Story Text: French Prime Minister Francois Fillon and Japanese Prime minister Naota Kan on Friday (July 16) agreed that better nuclear safety standards were needed and shared an understanding that financial markets should not undermine the stability of the national economy.
    "We shared an understanding derived from our common history as industrialised nations. We believe everything needs to be geared towards the stability of production and industry. We are not financial nations and financial speculation for us is not a means to an end. The financial system only makes sense if it is dedicated to the creation of goods and wealth," said Fillon after he met Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan in Tokyo.
    Fillon, on his second visit to Tokyo as Prime minister, told a conference earlier that the crisis in Europe was not caused by a weakness in the single currency system, but rather by badly managed public finances.
    Fillon also said he and Kan agreed that global nuclear security standards needed to be stregnthened.
    "We also agreed the nuclear industry needed to be of the highest safety standards. There is no place for low-cost nuclear industries and as even in the face of international competition, we need to have to courage to tell our clients and future clients - those that are likely to be our clients - that they can not be choose between bargain nuclear technology and nuclear products with all the security guarantees, which is what Japan and France does," said Fillon.
    The battle to acquire state-level nuclear power projects has been heating up among countries with nuclear plant-building capabilities as traditional leaders such as United States, France and Japan were beaten by countries which joined the race recently.
    A South Korean consortium acquired a $40 billion deal to build and operate four nuclear reactors on the United Arab Emirates - one of the largest ever awarded in such kind in the Middle East.
    France also endeavors to hold up its position in the emerging markets for clean energy.
    Media reported last week that France was preparing to sign an agreement with top oil exporter Saudi Arabia on cooperation in the civilian nuclear energy sector.
    In April, neighbouring Kuwait agreed with France to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
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