[At the conclusion of Indian PM's Japan visit, the Indian media has prominently covered the issue. There are conflicting undertones and overtones. Apparently emanating from the conflicts between keen aspirations (for the deal) and actual achievement. That India will keep doggedly pursuing goes without saying. The press here in India has not covered that the representatives of peace movements in Japan wrote to the visiting Indian PM pleading against the deal.]
I/IV. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pms-wont-force-nuclear-deal-mantra-d.../702158/ PM's 'won't force nuclear deal' mantra disappoints Japan Inc *P. Vaidyanathan Iyer* Posted online: Mon Oct 25 2010, 14:58 hrs *Tokyo : *Just three hours before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh officially kick-started India’s annual bilateral summit with his Japanese counterpart today, he told a packed audience of Japanese and Indian business leaders that he would not force the civil nuclear issue with Prime Minister Naoto Kan. This has put a dampener on the business interests of Japanese majors such as Mitsubishi and Hitachi that stand to benefit from the agreement. Replying to a query by a senior executive from Mitsubishi at a business luncheon hosted by Nippon Keidanren, the leading business association here, Manmohan Singh said, “We would hope that Japan will be India’s partner in the expansion of its civil nuclear industry for peaceful purposes. But I do recognise the sensitivity of the subject in Japan. I, therefore, will not force the issue on you.” The Mitsubishi executive had sought to know how Japan-India relations will move forward after the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa) between the two countries is concluded. India, that commenced talks with Japan on the proposed agreement for peaceful uses of nuclear energy in June this year, has so far held two rounds of meetings, the second in mid-October. “Two rounds of negotiations have been held, but some more rounds are required," Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao had said in New Delhi, underscoring expectations about inking a civil nuclear deal between India and Japan during the Prime Minister’s summit discussions with Kan. Sources in the Indian side tried to play down the PM’s remarks, saying, it was more of "optics". Pointing out that expectations were not really high, they claimed Prime Minister Singh’s impromptu reply hours before his meeting with Kan was likely “deliberate”. “He couldn’t have found a better platform with so many business leaders from Japan. It perhaps will serve as a reality-check for Japan that has been trying to extract additional commitments from India. This is unacceptable to us. We would rather talk to Japan in the pace it sets,” a government source told 'The Indian Express'. Earlier, in his address, the Prime Minister sought Japan’s assistance in providing technology and know-how to build civil nuclear power plants in India. He pointed out that the demand for energy in India has been rising rapidly with rapid economic growth. “Japan, as a global leader in energy efficient technologies, can play a significant role in helping us meet India’s energy needs in an environmentally friendly manner,” he said. With a peak power deficit of 12-14 per cent, India is keen on scaling up its civil nuclear capabilities to supplement power capacities that are predominantly thermal today. “Nuclear energy can provide our growing economy with a clean and efficient source of power,” Singh said. It was Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada who in June this year first made public Tokyo’s readiness to start discussions with India on a cooperation agreement for civil nuclear energy. India has in the last year or so inked such pacts with a host of countries including the France, Russia, United Kingdom, Canada, Namibia, Mongolia and Argentina. But Tokyo has been demanding that New Delhi sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) before the two countries sign a civil nuclear deal. Singh reiterated India’s position on NPT and CTBT in an interview to Japanese media that was released to the Indian media on Sunday. “India has an impeccable non-proliferation record which has been recognised by the international community. We are committed to maintaining our unilateral and voluntary moratorium on nuclear explosive testing. “India has been steadfast in its support for global and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament in a time-bound framework. We are ready to work with Japan and other like-minded countries in realizing the vision of a nuclear weapon free world,” he said. II. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-Japan-to-speed-up-nuclear-deal-talks/articleshow/6810516.cms India, Japan to speed up nuclear deal talksPTI, Oct 25, 2010, 08.15pm IST TOKYO: India <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/India> and Japan<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Japan> on Monday decided to speed up negotiations on a civil nuclear deal<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=nuclear%20deal> and formally announced the firming up of a free trade agreement that will lead to slashing of taxes up to 94 per cent over the next decade. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Manmohan-Singh> and his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan held wide-ranging discussions on ways to push the strategic cooperation to a higher level with both agreeing that it was beneficial for the two countries. In a statement to media after the talks, Kan said: "We agreed to speed up negotiations for civil nuclear energy cooperation, while seeking India's understanding of our country's sentiment" as a nation which faced nuclear bomb attack. Singh, who earlier in the day said that he will not "force" Japan on the nuclear agreement because of its sensitivity, said, "Civil nuclear energy can be another mutually beneficial area of our cooperation." Earlier in the day, Singh invited Japanese firms to participate in expansion of India's nuclear industry. "We would hope that Japan will be India's partner in expansion of its civil nuclear industry for peaceful purposes. But I do recognise the sensitivity of the subject in Japan and will not therefore force the issue," he told a business luncheon meeting here. After the extended delegation-level talks, the two leaders officially endorsed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The negotiations for the CEPA began in 2007 and the agreement could not be signed today as Japan needs to complete certain internal processes, like clearance from its Parliament (Diet) which will take some time. After the talks, Kan said through the meeting, the two countries were able to confirm and "be confident about progress in the strategic global partnership between Japan and India". "We signed a joint statement confirming the conclusion of negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and India," he said. Singh described the conclusion of talks on the CEPA as a "historic achievement" which would open up new business opportunities. The two leaders also agreed to cooperate in various fields and discussed the situation in Afghanistan<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Afghanistan> and ways to combat climate change and push for UN reforms. Singh said Indian appreciates the Japanese Government's decision to cooperate with the country on civil nuclear energy. A joint statement said the two leaders "encouraged" their negotiators to arrive at a mutually satisfactory agreement for civil nuclear cooperation at an early date. On the CEPA, the Prime Minister said: "Our two governments have concluded negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. It is a historic achievement that signals economic alignment of two of the largest economies of Asia <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Asia>." He said the new agreement will open up new business opportunities and lead to quantum increase in trade. Singh said the two countries have agreed to enhance their cooperation, both bilaterally and within the G-4, in the reform of the United Nations<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/United-Nations>, and especially of the Security Council. "We will continue to work together on global issues such as climate change, the Doha round of trade negotiations and the G-20<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/G-20>," he said in his remarks. Singh said he suggested to his counterpart Kan that the two countries redouble their efforts in progressing major infrastructure projects in India such as the Dedicated Freight Corridor project and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project. "Both these are proceeding on schedule and will have a transformational impact on our two economies," the Prime Minister said. The two Prime Ministers also discussed ways to expand High Technology Trade between India and Japan. "I hope that Japan will make its export control regulations for such trade easier and predictable... I also conveyed our satisfaction with the High-Level Energy Dialogue between our countries through which we are partnering in the development and utilisation of new and renewable energy sources," Singh said. Singh and Kan reviewed the implementation of the Action Plan on Security Cooperation signed last December and discussed the possibility of further deepening the strategic partnership. The two countries also discussed the ways to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Japan "in a befitting manner including through expanded people-to-people exchanges, especially amongst our youth." Singh said he has invited Prime Minister Kan to visit India next year for the Indo-Japan Annual Summit. III. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-confident-of-inking-civilian-nuclear-deal-with-Japan-PM/Article1-617279.aspx Tokyo, October 24, 2010 First Published: 15:56 IST(24/10/2010) Last Updated: 16:27 IST(24/10/2010) India confident of inking civilian nuclear deal with Japan: PM India is confident of signing a "win-win" civilian nuclear deal with Japan and is looking forward to a comprehensive economic partnership agreement to boost bilateral trade, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said. "I am confident that we will be able to conclude an agreement (on nuclear deal), which will be a win-win proposition for both of us. We have not laid down any deadline for concluding these negotiations," Singh said shortly ahead of his two-day visit in Tokyo beginning on Sunday. Asserting that India has an "impeccable" record on non-proliferation, he told the Japanese media that his country is committed to maintaining a "unilateral and voluntary" moratorium on explosive nuclear testing and has "no intention" of revising that commitment. "We are ready to work with Japan and other like-minded countries in realising the vision of a nuclear weapon-free world," Singh was quoted as saying by*Kyodo* news agency. There is reluctance in Japan, the only country to have witnessed a massive atomic attack, to proceed with the civilian nuclear deal with India because New Delhi is not part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). So far, the two countries have held two rounds of negotiations on the issue. Singh, who will meet his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan and other top leaders here, said that India would like Japan to be its partner in nuclear energy in view of the advanced capabilities of Japanese firms in the nuclear field and the important role they play in the global supply chain. The Prime Minister will hold talks with Kan on a range of issues, including civil nuclear energy cooperation, security cooperation and ways to enhance economic ties besides joint infrastructure projects being carried out in India. During his visit, an announcement will be made on conclusion of negotiations on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Singh said CEPA would open up the fast-expanding Indian market to Japanese firms and facilitate the flow of Japanese investment in India's growing infrastructure. He also sees an "enormous" possibility for India, Japan and China to work together for the prosperity of Asia. Asked to comment on the maritime dispute between Japan and China in the East China Sea, Singh said interstate relations must be based on five principles of peaceful coexistence. "In this context, we also approach our relations with China, with whom we have established a strategic and cooperative partnership," Singh said. Outlining fields of cooperation, Singh said India and Japan can cooperate in areas of civilian nuclear energy, clean coal technology, renewable energy resources and infrastructure, among others, as the "two friendly nations" have multifaceted relations. IV. http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/news/20101025p2g00m0fe041000c.html Japan faces dilemma over civilian nuke pact with India TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Torn between economic gains and a national credo of abolishing nuclear weapons, as the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, Japan faces a dilemma in its negotiation of a civilian nuclear cooperation pact with India. The current Japan visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once again highlights ambivalent feeling in Japan toward the nuclear pact, which would enable Japanese firms to export nuclear power generation technology and related equipment to India. Tokyo has been negotiating a legal framework for peaceful use and transfer of nuclear-power technologies with other energy-hungry emerging nations, but India's case is unique because of its development of nuclear weapons and refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The launch in June of bilateral talks on a nuclear cooperation accord immediately triggered an outcry from survivors of the 1945 U.S. atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But at the same time, Japan has been trying to pull itself out of its longstanding economic doldrums by boosting growth through exports of infrastructure, including nuclear power plants, amid intensifying international competition for large-scale projects. Furthermore, Tokyo has a diplomatically strategic reason to strengthen its ties with India, as the fast-growing Asian democracy could serve as a counterbalance to China, which has recently adopted an increasingly confrontational stance toward Japan over a territorial issue. Kumao Kaneko, a former diplomat who served as the first chief of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's nuclear energy division, said Japan should lend a helping hand to India, as the South Asian country craves nuclear energy to meet growing domestic power demands. India plans to build 20 new nuclear power plants by 2020. "Without Japan's technology, new nuclear power generation projects in India would not start," Kaneko said. "Refusing to offer support to India when it really needs it could ruin Japan's credibility as a friend of India. As the saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed." India, which has developed its own nuclear power reactors with technologies transferred from the United States and Canada, concluded civil nuclear cooperation pacts with countries such as the United States and France after a consensus was reached in September 2008 by the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The NSG consensus allows New Delhi to start trading nuclear technologies for civilian nuclear programs with 46 member states. It was reached as India committed to strengthening the nonproliferation regime and maintaining a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing voluntarily. However, General Electric Co. of the United States and Areva SA of France cannot proceed with their projects to build nuclear reactors in India because they need reactor vessels made by Japan Steel Works Ltd., which accounts for nearly 80 percent of global supplies of forged nuclear reactor parts. Therefore, Washington and Paris have urged Tokyo to sign the civilian nuclear pact with New Delhi so they can use Japanese technology. In a move believed to be intended to assuage critics of the pact, Japanese negotiators demand the bilateral accord include a clause qualifying that Tokyo will halt nuclear energy cooperation if New Delhi conducts a nuclear test. But India has so far refused such a proposal. Kaneko pointed out that India did not agree with the United States to include such a clause in their bilateral civil nuclear pact, leaving Washington to stipulate measures on halting cooperation in the event of India's nuclear test in a U.S. domestic law. "India thinks incorporating such a clause in the nuclear pact would violate its sovereignty and Japan will not likely achieve what the United States failed to do," he said. Instead, Kaneko proposed the envisioned accord present a message to heed the antinuclear sentiment of A-bomb survivors. He also expected that it will take more than a year before Japan and India conclude their negotiations on the pact due to expected rough going. An Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that in the event of India's nuclear test, Japan could also stop its cooperation in line with domestic law. But it would be unrealistic for Japan to withdraw materials and technologies offered to India once the building of reactors is completed, the METI official said. Some critics say halting cooperation after a nuclear test is insufficient. Even though Japan refuses to provide nuclear cooperation to India, there will be alternative suppliers in the future, he said. "In that case, there will be global supply chains without Japanese makers and our nuclear power industry will be put in a disadvantageous position," the official said. A Foreign Ministry official, who declined to be named, also said Japan will be able to seek tighter regulation of India's nuclear program through a bilateral nuclear pact. Bilateral arrangements could be stricter than obligations for nonnuclear states under the NPT, he said. However, Akira Kawasaki of Peace Boat, a group campaigning for nuclear abolition with A-bomb survivors, said Japan's nuclear cooperation with India could not be justified for economic or diplomatic reasons, arguing the perception of such benefits is "nearsighted." "Over the long term, cooperation with India would intensify the nuclear arms race in the region," as such a move would threaten countries such as China and Pakistan, he said. Economically speaking, Japanese industry would only secure one-off gains, with Indian workers expected to acquire Japanese technologies soon and operate nuclear power plants by themselves, Kawasaki said. <http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pms-wont-force-nuclear-deal-mantra-d.../702158/> -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
