Hollande visits Japan for closer cooperation in nuclear and economics

French President Francois Hollande, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, right, prior to their summit meeting at Abe's official residence in Tokyo Friday, June 7, 2013. French President Hollande arrived in Japan on Thursday for a visit expected to focus on closer cooperation in nuclear energy technologies and on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic strategies. (Photo : AP Photo/Toru Yamanaka, Pool)

Japan and France have agreed to cooperate more on nuclear technology and to discuss joint development of military equipment, vowing to raise the tenor of their partnership.
Visiting French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a joint statement Friday pledging to prevent nuclear proliferation while raising safety standards for nuclear energy.

Abe is keen to promote Japanese exports of atomic technology despite the disaster in northeastern Fukushima following the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami. Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Areva of France are cooperating on construction of a reactor in Turkey.

Summit talks were followed by the exchange of agreements on various joint projects, including nuclear fuel recycling and tourism promotion. Hollande’s three-day state visit ends Saturday.