India and Japan to sign nuclear deal

A civilian nuclear deal, which will be a win-win proposition for both of us," said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before heading to Tokyo to meet with his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan on a three-day trip.

His visit comes as Tokyo struggles to repair ties with Beijing, hit by the worst diplomatic row in years over a disputed island chain in the East China Sea.

Mr Singh said India would like Tokyo to be its partner in nuclear energy, noting that Japan has "one of the highest and most advanced nuclear technologies."

Japan and India launched talks in June on signing an atomic civilian co-operation agreement that will allow Tokyo to export nuclear power generation technology and related equipment to energy-hungry India.

Mr Singh and Mr Kan were expected on Monday to declare the completion of talks on an economic partnership agreement (EPA), which Mr Singh said would open up the fast-growing Indian market to Japanese firms.

"I attach great importance to the potential of the economic co-operation," he said. The EPA "will boost our trade and economic ties manyfold."

Japan, a greying nation with a shrinking population, has long tried to enhance ties with emerging economies but its relations with China, Asia's other population giant, hit rock bottom in a row following Japan's arrest of a Chinese trawlerman last month in disputed waters.

Beijing reacted angrily to the arrest, cancelling all high level talks and civilian programmes as well as suspending exports of rare earth minerals crucial for Japan's hi-tech industries.

India has seized on this blocking of exports as a chance to step into a gap, with Mr Singh saying New Delhi and Tokyo can co-operate on the production of rare earth minerals in India. 

(source:telegraph.co.uk)