NO nuke deal, but PM says understanding with Japan improved

The "understanding" between India and Japan on civil nuclear issue has "improved", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, after talks with his counterpart Shinzo Abe even as the much-anticipated remained deal remained elusive.

The two leaders instructed their officials to complete the negotiations so that the agreement could be signed at an early date to strengthen the strategic cooperation.

"The two prime ministers affirmed the importance of civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries and welcomed the significant progress in negotiations on the Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.

"They directed their officials to further accelerate the negotiations with a view to concluding the agreement at an early date, and strengthen the two countries' partnership in non-proliferation and nuclear safety," said a joint declaration issued after the talks.

"There was elaborate discussion on civil nuclear cooperation. There is improved understanding now," Modi said at a joint media interaction with Abe.

The Japanese PM said there has been "important progress" in the negotiations over the deal in the past few months. "We had frank discussions on the issue," added Abe, whose country is very sensitive about the issue considering that it is the only country to have faced the wrath of a nuclear attack during the World War II.

Negotiations on the civil nuclear deal have been going on for over last four years but sources said a number of issues, including concerns over liability, remain to be addressed.

Abe commended India's efforts in the field of non-proliferation including the affirmation that goods and technologies transferred from Japan would not be used for delivery systems for Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Modi appreciated the decision of Japan government to remove six of India's space and defence-related entities from Japan's foreign end user list.

The two prime ministers looked forward to enhanced trade and collaboration in high-end technologies. They affirmed their commitment to work together for India to become a full member in the four international export control regimes: Nuclear Suppliers Group, Missile Technology Control Regime, Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group, with the aim of strengthening the international non-proliferation efforts.

Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe during the joint press interaction in Tokyo. Photograph: MEA India/Facebook