Japanese Foreign Minister Says "Contaminated Water Is Safe" on Island Nation 9000km from Fukushima

Japanese Foreign Minister's Tour of Pacific Island Nation Cook Islands
Seemingly Aimed at Dispelling 'Contaminated Water' Concerns

Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa visited the Pacific island nation of the Cook Islands and emphasized the safety of the contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

According to Kyodo News and Japan's public broadcaster NHK on the 21st, Foreign Minister Hayashi held talks with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown in the capital, Avarua.

Reports stated that on this day, Foreign Minister Hayashi explained the safety of the plan to dilute and discharge the nuclear plant's contaminated water, purified by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), into the sea, and delivered a letter from Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa (right) and Prime Minister Mark Brown (left). Photo by AP and Yonhap News Agency

Prime Minister Mark expressed that he was "honored" by Prime Minister Kishida's invitation of the Cook Islands, the chair country of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), along with South Korea, India, and others, to the May Hiroshima G7 Summit, and said he would like to actively participate in discussions.

Additionally, Prime Minister Mark and Foreign Minister Hayashi agreed to cooperate in realizing the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" strategy to counter China's maritime expansion.

Foreign Minister Hayashi said, "The Pacific island nations are strategically very important in securing regional peace and stability," and added, "I want to provide the support that these island nations need."

Meanwhile, this is the first time a Japanese foreign minister has visited the Cook Islands. Prior to visiting the Cook Islands, Foreign Minister Hayashi visited another Pacific island nation, the Solomon Islands, on the 18th. This tour is interpreted as aiming to dispel safety concerns of Pacific regional countries ahead of the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge, while aligning with U.S. policies to counter China's influence in the region.