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New Straits Times

Japan open to nuclear energy collaboration with Malaysia, Asean nations

KUALA LUMPUR: Japan is open to collaborating with Asean countries, including Malaysia, on civilian nuclear energy as part of a broader commitment to decarbonisation and sustainable development across the region. Japanese Foreign Ministry press secretary Kitagawa Toshihiro said Tokyo was ready to provide a range of support for Asean nations to meet decarbonisation goals. "Japanese companies are quite interested in promoting nuclear, especially focusing on small nuclear reactors. "Most recently, with Canada, we have decided to promote such small nuclear reactors. Why not with Asean countries?" he said at a briefing session with members of the press last night. Kitagawa added that, as Vietnam and Japan have already agreed to collaborate in civilian nuclear energy, the Japanese government welcomed further discussions with other Asean nations, including Malaysia. Kitagawa highlighted that any expansion of nuclear use must come with robust regulation and oversight. "We strongly believe that the proliferation of nuclear power should be strictly controlled by the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)," he said. Japan, he added, continues to support peaceful uses of nuclear power while advocating for strict supervision by international bodies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure safety and compliance. Additionally, Japan is also backing major regional initiatives such as the Asean Power Grid and aims to strengthen ties through Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) by offering technical and financial support to help Asean economies decarbonise without sacrificing development through transitional power sources such as ammonia and hydrogen. Yesterday, Malaysia and the United States signed the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation (NCMOU) aimed at advancing cooperation between the two countries on peaceful nuclear development at the sidelines of the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings. According to the US State Department, Malaysia and the United States have also launched negotiations for a civil nuclear cooperation agreement.