New Delhi: In a crucial development, India and Japan signed an broadbased MoU for cooperation on civil nuclear energy. This is the first time that Japan has inked such an MoU with any non-NPT (Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty) signatory country.
An agreement on security measures for the protection of classified military information and an amendment protocol of double taxation avoidance agreement were among 16 pacts signed by the two sides.
Briefing the media, foreign secretary S. Jaishankar said that they have reached a substantive agreement on the Indo-Japan nuclear deal and only legal scrubbing was to be taken into consideration. “I would hesitate to put up a timeline because I am not conversant with the Japanese internal procedures and their timelines. But the fact that we have concluded negotiations, the two Prime Ministers have signed the memorandum speaks for itself,” Mr Jaishankar said.
“Japanese side was assured of the efficacy of the liability solutions that we have found earlier. They have seen that the liability regime is working today. Other producers are satisfied that there is a credible market-based mechanism,” he said. “We have put the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty issue behind us with Japan’s help in 2008 when the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group decided to make an exception for India and Japan supported making that exception,” he said.
He pointed out that the “world today accepts that the NPT was a product of a particular time and a particular situation and, sometimes, there are some realities that you need to address which have happened subsequently.”
The foreign secretary went on to say that “if the record of the country is responsible and their need is serious, if they have been credible in implementing their commitments, all these have led different countries to consider the need for making exceptions. So, I don’t think the NPT is a particular obstacle to this negotiation.”
While the countries “in principle” agreed on cooperation in civil nuclear energy, Japan also cautioned India that it will be “quite natural” for it to review its cooperation if New Delhi goes for a nuclear test.
However, Japan asserted that it does not see India moving in that direction. In a joint statement issued by the two countries, Mr Modi and Mr Abe welcomed the cooperation agreement and confirmed that it will be signed after the technical details are finalised, including those related to the necessary internal procedures.
Japan will review deal if India goes for nuke test
As both countries “in principle” agreed for cooperation in civil nuclear energy, Japan on Saturday cautioned India that it will be “quite natural” for it to review its cooperation if New Delhi goes for a nuclear test. However, Japan asserted that it does not see India moving in that direction. If sealed, the nuclear pact with India will be Japan’s first with a country which has not joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“What do you think will happen,” asked Yasuhisa Kawamura, press secretary, director general for press and public diplomacy of the Japanese government. He said that Japan does not see India moving away from its self imposed moratorium on nuclear tests.
