EEE会議（ITER誘致問題：決定延期の裏側）............................................................031223


すでにご承知のように、国際熱核融合実験炉（ＩＴＥＲ）計画の誘致問題に
ついては、先週のワシントンでの関係国閣僚レベル会合でも、日仏どちら
にするか、各国の意見調整ができず、ついに決定は来年に持ち越されま
した。　日本も六ヶ所村誘致を青森県に約束している以上最後まで頑張ら
ざるを得ないでしょうが、なかなか苦戦を強いられそうです。

ところで、日本には米国と韓国の支持が、フランスにはEUのほか、ロシア、
中国の支持がありますが、これは実はイラク戦争に対する国際政治上の
対立構造を反映するもので、このような一時的な政治的事情でITERのよ
うな全人類的、超長期的な問題を決定していいのか、はなはだ疑問に感じ
ます。

The Japan Times の記事（共同通信）をご参考までにお送りします。
--KK

************************************

記事の全文は次のサイトでどうぞ。

http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20031222a1.htm


Decision on nuclear fusion site put off

   WASHINGTON (Kyodo) Six parties involved in a $12 billion,
30-year energy project failed Saturday to reach an accord on
the venue for the world's first prototype nuclear fusion reactor
due to a sharp division over the two rival sites in Japan and
France.

  Representatives from China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, the
United States and the European Union instead agreed to work
out a compromise by the end of January and try to hold a
fence-mending meeting in early February.

  "We have two excellent sites for ITER (the International
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), so excellent in fact that
we need further evaluation before making our decisions based
on consensus," said a joint communique issued by the six
parties after their minister-level meeting just outside
Washington.

  "With this information, we plan to hold a followup ministerial
meeting to reach consensus quickly, likely to be in February,"
the communique said.

  Japan has proposed hosting the project in the village of
Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, while the EU has selected the
southern French town of Cadarache as its candidate. [...]

According to conference participants, South Korea and the
U.S. expressed support for Japan's bid, while China and Russia
rallied behind France.

  The failure to reach an agreement came amid a sensitive and
complicated geopolitical situation.

  Japan has supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq and
reconstruction efforts there, while France and many EU
members as well as China and Russia have opposed the U.S.
invasion and occupation. [...]

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