Japan PM Kishida spoke about Fukushima water release with G-20 leaders

NEW DELHI - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has explained

the release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant to the sea

to the Group of 20 (G-20) leaders who gathered in New Delhi for a two-day summit on Saturday, an official with Japan's foreign ministry said.

Japan started releasing treated water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean in August, and

faced harsh criticism from China,

which immediately

banned all seafood imports from Japan.

Japan says the water release is safe,

noting that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also concluded that the

impact it would have on people and the environment was “negligible”.

At a G-20 session on Saturday, Mr Kishida addressed leaders of the G-20, including United States President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman, on issues ranging from the global economy to food security and the water release.

"Prime Minister Kishida explained that the data monitored since last month's (water) discharge has been made public in a prompt and highly transparent manner. And that no problem has arisen from a scientific standpoint," Ms Hikariko Ono, press secretary at Japan's foreign ministry, told reporters.

This week, Japan has brought

China's decision to ban Japanese seafood imports to the World Trade Organisation,

also promising to explain the safety of the released water at diplomatic forums.

"Unfortunately, some countries have been taking uncommon actions such as suspending all imports of Japanese marine food products in response to the recent (water) discharge into the sea," Ms Ono said without naming any countries.

This week, Mr Kishida has explained Japan's stance on the release of the treated water to Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of a regional meeting in Indonesia.

"Japan will continue to work closely with the IAEA and to provide explanations to the international community based on scientific evidence in good faith and in a highly transparent manner," Ms Ono said, referring to Mr Kishida's remarks at the G-20.

The Fukushima water release was among topics at Mr Kishida's meetings with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, Japan foreign ministry said in separate statements. REUTERS