Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returned to New Delhi on Saturday after a four-day visit to Japan during which he held talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on various issues including India's growing need for civillian nuclear energy.
In their talks, Japan agreed to engage in discussions with India on civilian nuclear cooperation under "appropriate" international safeguards in a clear indication that it may come round to backing the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Japan stopped short of any direct support to the landmark Indo-US deal, but said that international civilian nuclear energy cooperation should be enhanced through "constructive approches" under appropriate International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.
Earlier, Dr Singh maintained that he was not dissappointed that Japan had not straight away supported India on the civil nuclear energy issue.
After a four-day "relationship transforming" official visit to Tokyo, Dr Singh told reporters on board Air India One, on his way back home that the Japanese sensitivities on nuclear issues had to be respected since it was the only country devastated by atomic weapons.
Deftly sidestepping a direct reaction to the latest Kashmir solution formula of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Dr Singh said that he anytime welcomed new ideas from "whomsoever" it comes.
"I welcome efforts to normalise relations between India and Pakistan," Dr Singh told reporters.
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