The 4th FNCA (Forum for Nuclear Co-operation in Asia) Ministerial Level Meeting held in 2-3 December 2003 in Nago City, Okinawa, Japan strongly recommended harmonization of project activities between RCA and FNCA. The 2-day meeting of FNCA participating countries' ministers and senior officials responsible for the peaceful nuclear research, development and utilization pursued ways to enhance socio-economic impact of radiation and radioisotope applications and also to achieve sustainable development in the region through identifying the role of nuclear energy. The basic theme of this year's FNCA meeting was 'Nuclear Energy for the Future of Mankind and the Globe'.

The FNCA, which was originally launched more than 10 years ago initiated by Japan under the flag of ICNCA (International Conference on Nuclear Co-operation in Asia), now embraces 9 member countries in the region, i.e., Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. It is noted that all FNCA member countries are RCA Member States. The FNCA is implementing 11 individual co-operative projects: Tc-99m Generator, Neutron Activation Analysis, Neutron Scattering, Bio-fertilizer, Medical Use, Public Information, Radioactive Waste Management, Nuclear Safety Culture, Human Resources Development. and Low-Energy Electron Accelerator. Therefore, symbiotic and supplementary cooperation between RCA and FNCA projects has been a keen interest for the common benefit to the region. The FNCA has been holding the national coordinators' meeting in every March in Japan, and the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) and Ministerial Level Meeting (MM) in late autumn in Japan and in a member country every another year. Korea hosted the 2002 SOM and MM while Viet Nam offered the hosting of 2004 meetings. For more information, please, visit FNCA website: www.fnca.jp