|
PM says India not to force n-deal on Japan, talks to continue
Thursday, October 21, 2010 10:43:34 PM, Minu Jain, IANS
|
|
 |
|
Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh
meeting the Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Naoto Kan in Tokyo, Japan
on October 25, 2010.
(Photo: M Asokan) |
Tokyo:
Indicating a long haul ahead for the civil nuclear deal, Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday that India would not force the
pact on Japan as he recognised the sensitivities involved. But the
two countries also decided to maintain momentum and meet again
next month to continue negotiations.
"I recognise the sensitivity of the (nuclear) issue in Japan and
therefore I would not force it on you," Manmohan Singh said here,
while referring to negotiations for a civil nuclear deal with
Japan.
The prime minister, here on a three-day visit, was answering a
question during a business lunch hosted by the Nippon Keidanren, a
business lobby, the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the
Japan-India Business Cooperation Committee.
The remark, which points to difficulties involved in civil nuclear
negotiations between India and Japan, came ahead of the prime
minister's meeting with his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan in the
evening.
Dismissing speculation that the deal on the peaceful uses of
nuclear energy could be off the table, Foreign Secretary Nirupama
Rao said after the meeting of the two leaders that the positive
momentum would be maintained and the next round of talks would be
held in the third week of November.
"Two rounds of useful productive talks had already been held," she
pointed out.
"The conclusion you have drawn doesn't correspond to the sense of
play," she told reporters. There was enthusiasm and a strong
impetus for the agreement on part of both Japan and India.
"As I said earlier, there is a positive resolve to strengthen
cooperation and come to an ultimate agreement on both sides," she
stressed.
Japan is the only country in the world to have suffered the
horrifying impact of nuclear weapons. On Aug 6, 1945, the US
dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, flattening the city and
killing tens of thousands. Three days later, it dropped another
bomb on Nagasaki.
"We are negotiating an Agreement on the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear
Energy with Japan. I am confident that we will be able to conclude
an agreement which will be a win-win proposition for both of us,"
Manmohan Singh had told the Japanese media in New Delhi before
leaving for Tokyo.
Stating that India sees nuclear energy as a vital component of its
global energy mix, he said: "Our nuclear industry is poised for
major expansion and there will be huge opportunities for the
global nuclear industry to participate in the expansion of India's
nuclear energy programme. We would like Japan to be our partner in
this initiative."
The joint statement on the 'Vision for India-Japan Strategic and
Global Partnership in the Next Decade' also makes a note of the
issue.
"The two prime ministers welcomed the commencement of negotiations
between India and Japan on an Agreement For Cooperation on the
Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy in June 2010," it states.
The document also says that the two prime ministers "reaffirmed
their shared commitment to the total elimination of nuclear
weapons".
Touching on a key point of divergence, the statement says that
while Prime Minister Kan "stressed the importance of bringing into
force the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) at an early
date", Manmohan Singh "retiterated India's commitment to a
unilateral and voluntary moratorium on nuclear explosive testing".
"They also underscored the importance of peaceful uses of nuclear
energy and of further strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation
efforts."
|
|
Home |
Top of the Page |
|
 |
|
Comment on this article |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 News Pick |
|
394 UP
students given Award for Academic Excellence
394 meritorious students belonging to Muslim minority
community were given Award for Academic Excellence in an award
distribution ceremony held at Baradari Qaisar Bagh, Lucknow. The
awards to these students
» |
Six
achievers in science bag Infosys Prize
Six achievers in the field of mathematical sciences, physical
sciences, engineering and computer science, life sciences and
social sciences Monday won the Infosys Prize of Rs.5 million each
for their outstanding
» |
|
British
motorists spend a year of life on parking
Believe it or not, a survey has revealed that average motorists in
Britain spend nearly a year of their lifespan looking for parking
space. Frustrated drivers lose more than six days every year
touring the streets and
» |
More than
13,500 Chinese expected to perform Haj this year
Over 13,500 Chinese pilgrims are expected to perform Haj this
year, almost a seven percent increase on last year’s number of
12,700 Hajis from China, reports the leading Saudi Arabian English
daily. The first batch of
» |
|
Israel restricts schools' construction in Gaza
Israel has restricted the construction of new schools in the Gaza
Strip, a UN official said Sunday. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
planned to build eight schools in the enclave, but Israel refused
to
» |
Bahrain's
main opposition group registers impressive victory
The main opposition Al-Wefaq group notched an impressive victory
in Bahrain's third parliamentary elections, winning all 18 seats
it contested.
However, it still fell short of a majority in the 40-member lower
house of a
» |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quick links