Politics Apr. 12, 2008 - 03:36PM JST ( 3 )

ROKKASHO —

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon was met with large protests on Saturday when he toured a new nuclear plant in Aomiri that was jointly built by the two countries. About 700 protesters gathered at the demonstration, according to local media and organizers, with many carrying banners that read: “Rokkasho is an environmental and political danger!”

The plant was constructed by Japan Nuclear Fuel (JNFL) and France’s nuclear giant Areva.

France and Japan are major supporters of nuclear power, with Japan lacking virtually any natural energy sources.

Areva on Friday signed a deal to expand a business alliance with Japanese industrial giant Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd to provide nuclear fuel for reactors.

“What was signed confirms the common strategy between France and Japan” in terms of civil nuclear sector, Fillon told reporters after the tour.

“The Rokkasho plant is necessary for Japan’s energy security,” Japan’s trade minister Akira Amari said.

“As the head of Japan’s energy policy and a politician who believes in the future of nuclear energy, I feel deeply grateful to the people in Japan and France who have worked for the plant,” he added.

But Fillon’s visit outraged anti-nuclear campaigners. The nuclear reprocessing plant is “the biggest and most dangerous obstacle to directing Japan toward a safe and clean energy future,” environmental group Greenpeace said in a statement.

“Areva is aggressively promoting nuclear power expansion despite the risks, poor value for money and ineffectiveness in combating problems such as climate change,” it added.

Japan relies on nuclear power for about one-third of its energy needs despite public opposition over safety concerns in the only nation to have been attacked with atomic bombs.

Copyright 2008/9 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.