ID :
26145
Thu, 10/23/2008 - 14:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/26145
The shortlink copeid
Japan strikes security deal with India, turns down nuclear cooperation+
TOKYO, Oct. 22 Kyodo - Japan and India agreed Wednesday to build a bilateral security cooperation framework including enhanced strategic dialogue, joint military exercises and cooperation in antiterrorism and disaster preparedness, but the two nations' premiers remained apart over India's hopes to engage in civil nuclear cooperation with Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh also
agreed for Japan to provide about 450 billion yen worth of yen loans to India
to help build a freight rail connection between New Delhi and Mumbai, they said
in a joint statement. It is Japan's largest-ever yen loan package for a single
overseas project, Japanese officials said.
The leaders also agreed on the importance for Japan and India, as the largest
and third-largest economies in Asia, to work together in the wake of the
current global financial crisis, Aso told a news conference after the talks.
At the hour-long meeting, Singh expressed hopes to engage in cooperation with
Japan in civil nuclear development. But Aso responded by reiterating Japan's
request that India first become a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation
Treaty and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, a Japanese Foreign
Ministry official said.
''India must carry out its promises through action, including maintaining the
moratorium on nuclear tests,'' Aso told the joint news conference. ''Regarding
nuclear cooperation between Japan and India in the future, there are various
factors that must be carefully considered.''
Singh, speaking alongside Aso, said, ''It is our sincere desire to strengthen
and develop our cooperation with Japan in civil nuclear energy, but I do
recognize the sensitivities of this issue in Japan and therefore we will move
at a pace which the Japanese government and people are comfortable with.''
Singh, who extended an invitation for Aso to visit India next year, said the
security cooperation accord ''reflects our shared desire to contribute to
peace, prosperity and stability in Asia and in the world.''
At the same time, the Indian premier stressed that the cooperation is not
targeted at China, saying, ''Economic partnership and security cooperation
between India and Japan are not at the cost of any third country, least of all
China.''
While emphasizing eagerness on both sides to boost trade and economic ties, the
two leaders also fell short of striking a deal over a free trade agreement.
''We welcomed the substantive progress in the negotiations and confirmed our
hopes for an agreement at the earliest possible time,'' Aso said.
The leaders have in mind the goal of reaching a basic deal by the end of the
year, the Japanese official briefing reporters said.
Japan and India had initially hoped to announce an outline of their economic
partnership agreement during Singh's visit, but could not narrow their
differences sufficiently over how to lower trade barriers.
Sharing the view that the present world economy is ''facing uncertainty,'' the
two leaders expressed concerns that global food prices remain high and agreed
that joint efforts are needed to mitigate the impact of high and volatile oil
prices.
In addition to security and trade issues, Aso and Singh also pledged to
cooperate on global efforts to tackle climate change, such as promoting energy
efficiency and moving forward on the practical development of the
Japan-proposed sectoral approach, according to the joint statement on the
advancement of the bilateral strategic and global partnership.
In its most positive expression so far, India, along with Japan, ''noted'' the
desire of the Group of Eight nations to share with other nations the vision of
halving global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and that ''equitable burden
sharing for sustainable development'' should guide negotiations for a post-2012
framework.
The security deal with India, which stipulates the two nations will draw up an
action plan with specific measures at an early date, carries significance for
Japan, which currently has a postwar alliance with the United States and a
similar security framework with Australia signed in 2007.
Stipulated under a separate joint declaration, Japan and India will conduct
strategic dialogues between their foreign and defense ministers, as well as
promote cooperation especially in maritime security, counterterrorism and
disaster preparedness, such as in the case of tsunami.
Former prime ministers Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe made significant
efforts to strengthen ties with India, in a reflection of Japan's apparent
hopes of balancing the growing influence of China in the region. Japanese
officials described Singh's visit as the beginning of a ''second stage'' to
enhance and substantiate the relations.
But Japan's decision to back a consensus in the Nuclear Suppliers Group in
September to give a nuclear trade waiver to India, a non-signatory of the NPT,
has drawn strong criticism from civic groups which believe it violates Japan's
principles of promoting nonproliferation as the world's only nation to have
suffered from atomic bombing.
India is the largest recipient of Japanese official development assistance.
Along with China, it is also considered one of the key emerging emitters of
global warming gases with its rapidly expanding economy.
Japan, which holds presidency of the G-8 this year, is eager to win cooperation
from New Delhi, Beijing and others to adopt emissions reduction targets. But
India and other developing nations have argued that responsibility should fall
on the developed countries first.
The environmental issue was also taken up in a meeting with Emperor Akihito and
Empress Michiko in the morning, where Singh explained that the effects of
global warming have been especially noticeable in the spread of deforestation
and glacier retreat in the Himalayas, according to Imperial Household Agency
officials.
In response to Emperor Akihito expressing concern over the glacier retreat,
Singh was quoted as saying India is aware of the possible long-term impacts
such as flooding and drought and will take appropriate preventive measures.
Singh, who arrived Tuesday, is on his second visit to Japan this year,
following his July trip to attend the outreach session at the G-8 summit in
Hokkaido. He is scheduled to depart Thursday for Beijing to attend the
Asia-Europe Meeting summit.
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh also
agreed for Japan to provide about 450 billion yen worth of yen loans to India
to help build a freight rail connection between New Delhi and Mumbai, they said
in a joint statement. It is Japan's largest-ever yen loan package for a single
overseas project, Japanese officials said.
The leaders also agreed on the importance for Japan and India, as the largest
and third-largest economies in Asia, to work together in the wake of the
current global financial crisis, Aso told a news conference after the talks.
At the hour-long meeting, Singh expressed hopes to engage in cooperation with
Japan in civil nuclear development. But Aso responded by reiterating Japan's
request that India first become a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation
Treaty and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, a Japanese Foreign
Ministry official said.
''India must carry out its promises through action, including maintaining the
moratorium on nuclear tests,'' Aso told the joint news conference. ''Regarding
nuclear cooperation between Japan and India in the future, there are various
factors that must be carefully considered.''
Singh, speaking alongside Aso, said, ''It is our sincere desire to strengthen
and develop our cooperation with Japan in civil nuclear energy, but I do
recognize the sensitivities of this issue in Japan and therefore we will move
at a pace which the Japanese government and people are comfortable with.''
Singh, who extended an invitation for Aso to visit India next year, said the
security cooperation accord ''reflects our shared desire to contribute to
peace, prosperity and stability in Asia and in the world.''
At the same time, the Indian premier stressed that the cooperation is not
targeted at China, saying, ''Economic partnership and security cooperation
between India and Japan are not at the cost of any third country, least of all
China.''
While emphasizing eagerness on both sides to boost trade and economic ties, the
two leaders also fell short of striking a deal over a free trade agreement.
''We welcomed the substantive progress in the negotiations and confirmed our
hopes for an agreement at the earliest possible time,'' Aso said.
The leaders have in mind the goal of reaching a basic deal by the end of the
year, the Japanese official briefing reporters said.
Japan and India had initially hoped to announce an outline of their economic
partnership agreement during Singh's visit, but could not narrow their
differences sufficiently over how to lower trade barriers.
Sharing the view that the present world economy is ''facing uncertainty,'' the
two leaders expressed concerns that global food prices remain high and agreed
that joint efforts are needed to mitigate the impact of high and volatile oil
prices.
In addition to security and trade issues, Aso and Singh also pledged to
cooperate on global efforts to tackle climate change, such as promoting energy
efficiency and moving forward on the practical development of the
Japan-proposed sectoral approach, according to the joint statement on the
advancement of the bilateral strategic and global partnership.
In its most positive expression so far, India, along with Japan, ''noted'' the
desire of the Group of Eight nations to share with other nations the vision of
halving global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and that ''equitable burden
sharing for sustainable development'' should guide negotiations for a post-2012
framework.
The security deal with India, which stipulates the two nations will draw up an
action plan with specific measures at an early date, carries significance for
Japan, which currently has a postwar alliance with the United States and a
similar security framework with Australia signed in 2007.
Stipulated under a separate joint declaration, Japan and India will conduct
strategic dialogues between their foreign and defense ministers, as well as
promote cooperation especially in maritime security, counterterrorism and
disaster preparedness, such as in the case of tsunami.
Former prime ministers Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe made significant
efforts to strengthen ties with India, in a reflection of Japan's apparent
hopes of balancing the growing influence of China in the region. Japanese
officials described Singh's visit as the beginning of a ''second stage'' to
enhance and substantiate the relations.
But Japan's decision to back a consensus in the Nuclear Suppliers Group in
September to give a nuclear trade waiver to India, a non-signatory of the NPT,
has drawn strong criticism from civic groups which believe it violates Japan's
principles of promoting nonproliferation as the world's only nation to have
suffered from atomic bombing.
India is the largest recipient of Japanese official development assistance.
Along with China, it is also considered one of the key emerging emitters of
global warming gases with its rapidly expanding economy.
Japan, which holds presidency of the G-8 this year, is eager to win cooperation
from New Delhi, Beijing and others to adopt emissions reduction targets. But
India and other developing nations have argued that responsibility should fall
on the developed countries first.
The environmental issue was also taken up in a meeting with Emperor Akihito and
Empress Michiko in the morning, where Singh explained that the effects of
global warming have been especially noticeable in the spread of deforestation
and glacier retreat in the Himalayas, according to Imperial Household Agency
officials.
In response to Emperor Akihito expressing concern over the glacier retreat,
Singh was quoted as saying India is aware of the possible long-term impacts
such as flooding and drought and will take appropriate preventive measures.
Singh, who arrived Tuesday, is on his second visit to Japan this year,
following his July trip to attend the outreach session at the G-8 summit in
Hokkaido. He is scheduled to depart Thursday for Beijing to attend the
Asia-Europe Meeting summit.
