Japan's new Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko has made her debut as the country's top diplomat. She's been holding one-on-one meetings in New York with her counterparts, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Kamikawa is visiting the city to attend the UN General Assembly.
She met Blinken on Monday. The two reaffirmed close bilateral coordination in tackling global issues such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's increased maritime assertiveness.
Kamikawa also met the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, on the same day. Regarding the release of treated and diluted water into the ocean from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northern Japan, she told Grossi that Japan will continue providing scientific and highly transparent explanations, both at home and abroad.
The two signed an agreement on the water discharge, under which the IAEA will provide a comprehensive and continuous safety review of the practice. The document identifies areas of the agency's review work, including regular posting of IAEA officials at the plant and confirmation by the IAEA of monitoring results.
Kamikawa's other meetings included one with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
She is also scheduled to meet foreign ministers from France and Australia.