German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and his Japanese counterpart 
Takeaki Matsumoto met in Tokyo as Japan has struggled to stabilise the 
Fukushima nuclear plant three weeks after the magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami.
"Importantly, we have to improve the quality and safety of nuclear energy 
in the world by establishing international safety standards," said the German 
foreign minister.
"We welcome very much that Japan discloses its disaster information at the 
highest level of transparency," he said. "That is exactly what is important."
 Matsumoto told a joint press conference: "I said to Foreign Minister 
Westerwelle that, regarding the nuclear plant, Japan has given explanations to 
the international community with the highest possible transparency."
 "I said Japan will thoroughly examine the accident and wants to contribute 
to the international community by doing so."
The massive earthquake sent a giant tsunami crashing into Japan`s 
northeastern coast on March 11, devastating port cities and leaving more than 
27,000 dead or missing and tens of thousands more displaced.
The giant wave knocked out the cooling systems of the Fukushima Daiichi 
nuclear plant, triggering blasts and fires at four of its six reactors, which 
have since wafted radioactive steam and leaked water into the environment.
After Japan`s worst nuclear crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has 
ordered operators of all the country`s 17 reactors to conduct safety checks and 
to shut down temporarily the seven oldest ones.
On Thursday Japan and France also pledged to push for improved 
international nuclear safety standards.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the first national leader who visited 
Tokyo after the disaster, said the Group of Eight and Group of 20 will take up 
the issue this year.
Westerwelle also said the country was ready to provide three more concrete 
pumps to Japan, which has employed one of the German-made machines to spray 
water to cool reactors.
A total of five such pumps will be deployed at the plant, he said.(*)
(U.KR-IFB/M016)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
