Japan's parliament OKs nuclear pacts with Jordan

Japan's parliament on Friday approved four bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements with Jordan, South Korea, Vietnam and Russia, the first of their kind since the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in March.The approval by the opposition-ruled Upper House of Parliament paves the way for Japan to export nuclear reactors and nuclear technology to the four countries.The four bilateral pacts were signed before the Fukushima accident, which was triggered by a magnitude-9.0 quake and subsequent tsunami on March 11. The deals are expected to enter into force as early as next month after the necessary domestic procedures.The parliamentary debates on the four accords were interrupted by the Fukushima accident, the worst radiation crisis since 1986 Chernobyl.Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has also called for reducing Japan's own dependence on nuclear energy. Before the accident, nuclear exports had been a pillar of Japan's new economic growth strategy. Japan has already concluded similar nuclear deals with seven countries, including Australia, Britain, China, France, the US and the European Atomic Energy Community.Japan is also in talks with the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, India, Brazil and South Africa.