Energy ministers of the European Union members states will gather in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss issues of nuclear security in the wake of the emergency situation with the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.
The meeting is scheduled for 13:00 GMT. EU Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger also invited suppliers of nuclear fuel and operators of nuclear power plants to attend the meeting.
Japanese authorities already asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United States to help the country manage the emergency situation with the nuclear power plant. However, Japan has not yet turned for help to the EU, while the organization says it is ready to provide the necessary assistance.
Fears of a large-scale nuclear disaster remain high in Japan as the country continues relief operations following a devastating earthquake and tsunami that have killed at least 5,000 people and left thousands missing.
A blast hit on Monday reactor No. 3 of the Fukushima plant, injuring 11 people and further escalating concerns about possible radioactive leaks. Although pictures from the site showed massive destruction of the reactor building, Japanese officials said the reactor itself resisted the blast and maintained that there is no major health risk.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. reported on Monday that the cooling system at reactor No. 2 had failed. Injection of water into the reactor restarted later in the day, which helped avert an explosion.
BRUSSELS, March 15 (RIA Novosti)