[NukeNet] Demand for Japan to terminate Russian uranium enrichment contracts

[Citizens' Nuclear Information Center]

Greenpeace Japan and Citizens' Nuclear Information Center

Press Release (released in Japanese on 9 April 2007)

Petition sent to Japanese government requesting that it terminate 
transactions commissioning uranium enrichment to Russia

International environment group Greenpeace Japan and Tokyo based 
Citizens' Nuclear Information Center today [9 April 2007] sent a letter 
to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Minister of Economy Trade and Industry 
Akira Amari, and Foreign Minister Taro Aso requesting the Japanese 
government to terminate transactions commissioning uranium enrichment 
to Russia (1). The petition requests that the government:

1. terminate all transactions between Japanese and Russian companies 
related to uranium enrichment until a nuclear cooperation agreement 
covering the transfer of nuclear materials has been concluded and has 
come into force between Japan and Russia; and
2. not approve any transactions where "peaceful use" is not assured 
under a bilateral agreement.

Media reports in February indicated that the Japanese and Russian 
governments would begin negotiations towards conclusion of a nuclear 
cooperation agreement(2). According to these reports, since no 
Japan-Russia agreement covering the transfer of nuclear materials 
exists at present, a bilateral agreement would be concluded to enable 
Japan to commission uranium enrichment to Russia.

However, our research has revealed that electric power companies, 
including Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), have already signed 
contracts and begun transactions for uranium enrichment with a Russian 
enrichment company and that the Japanese government has approved these 
contracts(3). TEPCO signed the first contract in 1999 and other 
companies followed later.

The purpose of bilateral agreements is to ensure "peaceful use" and to 
prevent nuclear proliferation. In their letter to the Japanese 
government, Greenpeace Japan and the Citizens' Nuclear Information 
Center maintained that a bilateral cooperation agreement should be a 
precondition of any approval for transactions involving the transfer of 
nuclear materials. They said that it is unacceptable to proceed with 
nuclear business transactions before such assurances are in place.

1. See letter below
2. Yomiuri Shimbun 21 February 2007, Nihon Keizai Shimbun 27 February 
2007, etc.
3. "Reply to Question regarding the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy", 
House of Representatives Question No. 166.95
http://www.shugiin.go.jp/index.nsf/html/index_shitsumon.htm

Contacts:
Manami Suzuki, Greenpeace Japan, 080-5416-6506 (mobile)
Philip White, Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, 81-3-5330-9520

---------------------------

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akira Amari
Foreign Minister Taro Aso

Petition requesting the government to terminate transactions 
commissioning uranium enrichment to Russia

Despite the fact that no agreement between the Japanese and Russian 
governments exists for cooperation in the "peaceful use" of nuclear 
energy covering the transfer of nuclear materials, Japanese electric 
power companies, beginning with Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), 
have commissioned uranium enrichment to the Russian enrichment company 
Techsnabexport (Tenex) and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry 
has approved these transactions. As explained below, this is 
unacceptable.

The Japanese governments' Framework for Nuclear Energy Policy states, 
"non-proliferation and the system for it are the major premises of 
peaceful use of nuclear energy". Bilateral agreements, along with the 
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and International Atomic Energy 
Agency (IAEA) safeguards agreement, ensure the prevention of nuclear 
proliferation.

Bilateral agreements determine specific conditions in relation to the 
transfer of nuclear materials between the two parties, or to third 
countries, including acceptance of IAEA safeguards, restriction to 
peaceful non-explosive uses, penalties, etc.. In order to ensure 
Japan's "peaceful use" of nuclear energy, and to prevent the military 
use of nuclear materials transferred to other countries, bilateral 
agreements should be a precondition for approval of any transaction 
involving the transfer of nuclear materials.

In particular, since Russia is a nuclear weapons state, as defined in 
the NPT, it is not obliged to accept IAEA safeguards, and at this point 
in time it does not accept such safeguards. The distinction between 
military and civilian facilities in Russia is vague, so there is a 
danger that nuclear materials transferred from Japan to Russia could be 
used in nuclear weapons. It is therefore essential that a nuclear 
cooperation agreement between Japan and Russia be in force before any 
transactions involving nuclear materials take place.

In order to ensure "peaceful use" and to prevent nuclear proliferation, 
we therefore request that the Japanese government:
1. take measures to terminate all transactions between Japanese and 
Russian companies which involve the transfer of nuclear materials, such 
as uranium enrichment, until a nuclear cooperation agreement covering 
the transfer of nuclear materials has been concluded and has come into 
force between Japan and Russia; and
2. not approve any transactions between Japanese companies and 
companies of countries for which "peaceful use" is not assured under a 
bilateral agreement.

Greenpeace Japan
Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
9 April 2007

Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
3F Kotobuki Bdg, 1-58-15, Higashi-Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0003
Phone: 81-3-5330-9520
Fax: 81-3-5330-9530
http://cnic.jp/english/
cnic at nifty.com