The Forum Troika leaders discussed Japan’s planned release of ALPS-treated water at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in their meeting in Suva earlier this month, acknowledging among other things the sovereignty of nations in deciding their positions on the matter.
In a statement today the Forum Secretariat did not disclose specific meeting outcomes, pointing out that Forum Chair (Prime Minister of the Cook Islands) Mark Brown would write to all Forum Leaders within the next fortnight to present the results of their discussion.
The Leaders discussed the complexities involved in the issue and acknowledged the sovereignty of individual nations to take a position based on their assessment of the available science and in the best interest of their own people. During the meeting, former Forum Chair and Fiji PM Sitiveni Rabuka apologised for acting unilaterally ahead of the Troika Meeting after having considered the IAEA Report and to which Troika Leaders acknowledge his role in taking a position for Fiji
“Troika Leaders considered it important to have a discussion on Japan’s planned release of ALPS-treated water given prior discussions by all Forum Leaders at the Forum Special Leaders Retreat (SLR) in Nadi in February and Forum Leaders in person and virtual engagement with Director General of the International Atomic Energy (IAEA) Rafael Grossi on the fifth IAEA Report of 4 July 2023 on the Safety Review of the ALPS-Treated Water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during his visit to the Cook Islands on 10 July,” Brown said.
Brown said they were guided by the decisions of Forum Leaders, particularly those outlined in the Leaders’ Communique from the Special Leaders Retreat in February, reaffirmed the importance of making decisions based on science and data and acknowledged Japan’s reassurance that the discharge of ALPS-treated water would only occur if it were verifiably safe to do so.
