Japan Hopes to Make Nuclear Pact with U.S. Sustainable

June 22, 2018

Tokyo- The Japanese government will make diplomatic efforts to make its nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States sustainable after an expected automatic renewal in July, Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Thursday.

The government will address U.S. concerns about its massive stockpile of surplus plutonium, Kono also said at a meeting with lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The 30-year pact allows Japan to reprocess spent nuclear fuel. The amount of plutonium extracted through the reprocessing has reached 47 tons, enough to make about 6,000 atomic bombs.

The agreement is likely to be extended after the planned expiration in July. After the extension, however, the pact can be scrapped if either side gives the other notice six months in advance. Jiji Press