26 February 2016, 16:43
A visit to the Fukushima Prefecture was one of the most important items in the program of Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Hanna Hopko’s visit to Japan.
In March, Japan commemorates the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, an energy accident at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, initiated primarily by the tsunami that was triggered by the Tohoku earthquake. The damage caused by the tsunami produced equipment failures, and without this equipment a loss-of-coolant accident followed, resulting in three nuclear meltdowns and the release of radioactive material. As a result a total of 500,000 people were evacuated from the province, and 180,000 have not managed to return to their homes.
Hanna Hopko met with the governor of the Fukushima Prefecture Masao Uchibori, visited a center for social assistance, temporary settlements of the people evacuated from the disaster zone and a medical center for disease research.
According to the Chairperson of the Committee, collaboration in the framework of the Agreement between the governments of Ukraine and Japan on cooperation in improving the post-accident response to emergencies at nuclear power plants, signed in 2012, is useful for both countries.
"The experience of Ukraine, in April commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Chornobyl catastrophe, was of use for the Japanese side when they faced a similar problem. But equally important for us is the experience of Japan, both in overcoming the consequences of the nuclear accident, and especially in government's work with displaced persons, in provision of medical, psychological and social assistance to the people," Hanna Hopko said.
Prior to that in Tokyo Hanna Hopko held meetings with Japanese diplomats, members of the parliament, representatives of analytical centers. The meetings were dedicated to Ukrainian-Japanese relations, the situation in Ukraine, and the issues of trade, investments and international security, including Russian military aggression counteraction.