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Christmas of 2014 had been christened Good Governance Day by the newly-elected NDA Government. Offices had been kept open to…
The Indian and Japanese governments have signed a nuclear cooperation agreement enabling Japan to export materials, machinery and technologies related to nuclear power plants to India.
The agreement was signed after Friday’s meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
It is the first time Japan has signed a nuclear cooperation accord with a non-signatory of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Abe stressed the significance of the agreement at a joint press conference held after the meeting.
“It will pave the way for India, which is an NPT non-signatory, to effectively join the international nonproliferation system,” he said.
“Our cooperation in this field will help us combat the challenge of climate change,” Modi said.
In a separate document, the two governments included a deal that cooperation would be suspended if India conducts a nuclear bomb test.
During the bilateral meeting, Modi and Abe confirmed the importance of the rule of the law in areas including Asia and Africa, as well as in international waters including the Pacific and Indian oceans. They also confirmed they would reinforce maritime security cooperation.
“It is vitally important for [Japan and India] to take the initiative in fostering peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the whole world,” Abe said at the joint press conference.
The two also discussed a high-speed railway project connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad in western India in which the Shinkansen bullet train system is scheduled to be introduced. They agreed construction will start in 2018, with the aim of starting operations in 2023.
During the meeting, Abe promoted the introduction of the Shinkansen bullet train system on India’s six other routes.
Modi responded by saying there are many possibilities regarding the six routes, adding that he has high hopes for Japanese technology.
(The Japan News)
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