The head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development urged Japan on Tuesday to restart nuclear reactors that have been deemed safe to ensure a stable power supply.
OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria told reporters in Tokyo that the organization supports Japan's continuing "to have an important nuclear capacity to generate electricity," despite growing public opposition to atomic power in light of the nuclear disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No.1 power plant.
While acknowledging the public's concerns, he meanwhile noted a power supply shortage could restrict the nation's industrial output, saying, "As a condition of growth policy, you have to have sufficient sources of energy to fuel the economy, households, companies and infrastructure."