Japan decided for the first time to provide support to a foreign state in establishing a compensation system for damage caused by nuclear accidents. Japan’s partner in the project is Vietnam, which plans to start its first nuclear plant in the year 2020.

The announcement was made by Japan’s economy, trade and industry minister Yukio Edano, who met the science and technology minister Nguyen Quan in Vietnam. “Keeping lessons from the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 plant in mind, we’d like to promote this collaborative effort by sharing our experiences with your country,” Edano told Quan.

Japan is directly involved in Vietnam’s project of nuclear power development, as Japanese manufacturers will build two reactors in the second phase of the project.

Vietnam will create its own nuclear compensation system, based on Japan’s Law on Compensation for Nuclear Damage as a reference, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

Japan will provide information on how to define nuclear damage to be covered under the envisaged system, maximum compensation payment amounts and education for personnel dealing with compensation-related issues.