PM says won't 'force' N-deal issue on Japan

Tokyo, Oct 25 (PTI) With Japan playing hard ball in the
negotiations on the civil nuclear deal, Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh Monday said he would not "force" it on Tokyo as
he recognises its sensitivity on the subject.
However, Singh, who is here on a two-day visit, said he
would like Japanese firms to participate in expansion of
India's nuclear industry.
"We would hope that Japan will be India's partner in
expansion of its civil nuclear industry for peaceful purposes.
But I do recognise the sensitivity of the subject in Japan and
will not therefore force the issue," he told a business
luncheon meeting here.
Singh made the comments while responding to a question
about the next steps after the completion of a Comprehensive
Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two
countries.
His comments come in the backdrop of Japan insisting that
the proposed agreement on a civil nuclear deal should have a
provision under which the cooperation would be called off if
India were to test a nuclear weapon.
The two countries have already held two rounds of
negotiations on the proposed agreement and the Indian side has
indicated that this condition could be accommodated through
proper wording in the pact.
Japan is the only country to have faced a nuclear attack
and is immensely sensitive to the issue, particularly
considering that India is not an NPT signatory.
Observing that with India's rapid economic growth, the
demand for energy has been rising rapidly, Singh told the
business leaders that cooperation between the two countries in
this area will "enable Japanese companies to participate in
India's ambitious nuclear energy programme."