New Delhi: India and Japan on Saturday discussed ways to enhance defence, security and economic cooperation during the "comprehensive" summit meeting between Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, who also announced a loan of USD 2 billion for Delhi Metro.
The two leaders held extensive talks on bilateral, regional and global issues after which Abe, at a joint media event said, Indo-Japan strategic and global partnership has the "largest potential" than any other bilateral relationship in the world.
During the visit of Abe, who is the chief guest at 65th Republic Day parade on Sunday, the two countries also inked as many as eight agreements including for promoting tourism, enhancing energy efficiency in telecom towers and for power generation in India.
"We noted with satisfaction the growing frequency of our political engagement and our expanding defence and security cooperation. Our bilateral maritime exercises have now been established on an annual basis and we have welcomed Japan's participation in the Malabar exercise this year," Singh said.
Terming Japan as a ‘key partner’ in economic development, Singh observed ‘the partnership between a strong and economically resurgent Japan and a transforming and rapidly growing India can be an effective force of good for the region’ and said he has sought more Japanese investments in the country.
Coming against the backdrop of tensions between Japan and China over a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea, Abe's India visit and its outcome is also expected to be keenly watched by the Chinese government.
At the joint media event, Singh said, "Our negotiations towards an Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy have gained momentum in the last few months. Our Joint Working Group on US-2 amphibian aircraft has met to explore the modalities of cooperation on its use and co- production in India.
"More broadly, we are working towards increasing our cooperation in the area of advanced technologies. I reviewed with Prime Minister Abe the current status of these transformative projects and shared my expectations with him."
Next: India, Japan ink pact for power generation, tourism promotion
India, Japan ink pact for power generation, tourism promotion
New Delhi: India and Japan on Saturday inked as many as eight agreements on areas like promotion of tourism, enhancing energy efficiency in telecom towers and power generation in the country.
The pacts were signed during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has signed two pacts with NTPC. Under the agreements, JBIC would provide "soft loan" for NTPS' Kudgi Power Plant and "loan" for NTPC's Auraiya Power Plant.
A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Bureau of Indian Standards and Japanese Industrial Standards Committee to harmonise standards between the two countries.
Aiming at enhancing energy efficiency in telecom towers, an MoU was inked between New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation Japan and Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Communication & Information Technology, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy on a model project for energy management systems in telecom towers in India.
To help implement bilateral science and technology exchanges, an implementing arrangement was inked between the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology of Japan and the Department of Science & Technology of India.
Both the sides also exchanges notes on Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) loan for Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project. The project is financed by Japanese Official Development Assistance.
Further, exchange of notes took place between the two sides for improvement of the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children in Chennai.
