IAEA Chief Says Japan Nuclear Crisis To Affect Other Countries’ Policies
By KUNA
Visiting International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano said Friday that Japan’s nuclear crisis will affect many countries’ nuclear power policies, but added that atomic energy will remain an option for power generation, Kyodo News Agency reported.
“This is the decision of each government, but of course this accident will give impact to other nations’ stances,” Amano told a news conference at the Japan National Press Club, according to Kyodo.
The IAEA chief said despite this serious accident people will “need stable source of energy … (to) mitigate the negative impact of climate change”.
Amano is on a two-day visit to Japan to assess the nuclear disaster triggered by last week’s catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in the northeast of the country.
The chief of the UN nuclear watchdog also said the future of nuclear power generation will depend on various elements such as, economy, social acceptance, technology and other things.
Concern over the safety of nuclear power plants has been growing since the quake crippled reactors and triggered radiation leaks at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, leading some countries to review their nuclear power policies.
China and Mexico have put on hold construction plans for new nuclear plants, while Germany has suspended the operations of its seven reactors, which were built before 1980, for three months.
On the other hand, Argentina, Brazil and some Eastern European countries have said they will continue to operate their nuclear power plants.
