16/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - According to AFP in Moscow, the Russian press has indicated that the Japanese Minister for science and technology, Takeo Kawamura, tried in vain during talks with Russian Nuclear Energy Minister Alexander Roumiantsev in Moscow on Thursday to persuade Russia to support the application of the Rokkasho-murau site to host the future experimental nuclear fusion reactor ITER, which is in competition with the French site at Cadarache. So far, Russia and China have supported the single European bid, and the United States and South Korea the Japanese candidate. (See EUROPE of 23 December, p.8, on the postponement of the decision until February).