India-Japan strategic dialogue Saturday, nuke issue on agenda

Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) India and Japan will hold the fourth strategic dialogue
on Saturday when Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada arrives here,
during which the two sides will discuss a wide gamut of issues, including
civil nuclear cooperation and ways to enhance bilateral trade ties.
Okada will have delegation-level talks with External Affairs Minister S M
Krishna during which they will review the status of the relationship between
the two countries which had held nuclear negotiations in June this year.
Rejecting the reports that the recent declaration made by Mayor of Nagasaki
criticising the Japanese government for launching nuclear cooperation talks
with India will have any negative impact, Secretary (East Asia) in MEA,
Gautam Bambawale said though there was no timeline for the pact, the next
round of talks will be held "sooner rather than later". He said India
was aware of the sensitivities reflected in some viewpoints expressed in
that country and it was appreciative of those viewpoints but it was up to
the government of Japan to take care of such issues. "The two sides
have decided to work towards a good working pact in the area, creating a
win-win situation for both the countries. And there is no timeline to it,"
he said. Before his departure from Tokyo, Okada told a press
conference that he will discuss with the Indian leadership issues such as
bilateral civilian nuclear cooperation pact and a free trade agreement,
negotiations for which are on. Okada also said that he will "candidly
convey to India critical public opinions in Japan" regarding the bilateral
nuclear cooperation deal and urge New Delhi to make efforts toward nuclear
disarmament and nonproliferation. The minister said Japan and India
will need to discuss what to do if India conducts a nuclear test in their
future civilian nuclear pact negotiations. Asked about the same,
Bambawale said he will not like to discuss the issue in the public domain or
through media. India will respond if the Japanese side raised it during the
talks. An accord will allow top Japanese companies, including Hitachi
and Toshiba, to sell atomic power equipment to the growing Indian market now
estimated to be of USD 150 billion. Besides civil nuclear cooperation,
the two sides will also discuss economic ties, situation in Pakistan and
Afghanistan, reforms in the UN and expansion of its Security Council. Okada
is also expected to raise the situation in North Korea which does not have
diplomatic ties with Japan. The visit is also aimed at firming up the
agenda for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's trip to Tokyo later this year
during which he will have a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
Okada, who will be here on a two-day official visit, will also call on
Singh. (More) PTI PYK RBT



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