Japan has told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it opposes a proposal by the IAEA chief for freezing nuclear fuel cycle development work for five years as a way to prevent nuclear proliferation, the Kyodo news agency reported Monday.

Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the IAEA, has called for the freeze to prevent development of nuclear weapons from nuclear fuel, such as enriched uranium and plutonium. He is expected to propose the freeze formally at a meeting in May to review the nonproliferation treaty.

Japan opposes the proposal because it fears it may have to suspend the nuclear fuel cycle work at a nuclear fuel-reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, if the freeze is implemented, the report said.

Japan began an initial test run of the Rokkasho plant in December. It is reported that once in operation, the plant will extract uranium and plutonium from spent nuclear fuel from power plants throughout Japan for reuse as fuel.

Some other countries, including Iran, have also expressed opposition to ElBaradei's proposal, saying it ignores their rights on the use of nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Source: Xinhua