India and Japan on Monday began crucial talks to clinch a deal to cooperate in the civilian nuclear energy that would allow sales of advanced technology by Japanese majors like Mitsubishi and Hitachi. Japan has so far been aloof to nuclear technology sharing with India because of New Delhi not being a signatory to the NPT. The ice was broken at a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his new Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan on the fringes of the G-20 summit in Toronto, Japanese officials said. Noting the recent progress in bilateral cooperation in civilian nuclear development, Singh expressed hope for further collaboration in the sector, and Kan responded that there are a number of things Tokyo can cooperate with, Kyodo news agency quoted the Japanese officials as saying. Singh and Kan, who met for the first time since the latter became the Japanese Prime Minister early this month, also agreed on the need to deepen bilateral ties, while working toward a strategic and global partnership, officials said. Hours after Singh and Kan met in Toronto, senior Indian and Japanese officials began the first round of talks today at the Japanese Foreign Ministry in Tokyo aimed at sealing a bilateral civilian nuclear cooperation pact. During the two-day meeting, the two countries will try to work out arrangements to allow Japan to export its nuclear power generation technology and related equipment to India while banning India from using them for military purposes and transferring them to another country, Kyodo news reported. India is represented by Gautam Bambawale, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in Ministry of External Affairs and Mitsuru Kitano, Deputy-Director General, Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department from the Japanese side. Japan wants to sign the agreement at an early date in line with the new 10-year growth strategy adopted June 18 by its Cabinet, the highlights of which include promoting the export of nuclear power generation facilities, it said.
