ID :
26349
Fri, 10/24/2008 - 18:35
Auther :

Singh concludes visit to Japan on upbeat mood, flies to China

Anil K Joseph

Tokyo, Oct 23 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Thursday wound up his visit here after qualitatively upgrading
India's strategic and economic ties with Japan with a landmark
security cooperation agreement and a slew of loan packages
worth billions of dollars for the nation's growing
infrastructure needs.

Singh, who held extensive and wide-ranging talks with his
Japanese counterpart Taro Aso Wednesday, described his lengthy
meeting as "very productive and fruitful".

Describing Aso, nearly 10 years his junior, as an "old
and highly respected friend of India," Singh noted that this
was his second bilateral trip to Japan as Prime Minister in
less than two years.

"This in itself reflects the great importance that India
attaches to its relationship with Japan," Singh said though
the two sides failed to ink the Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement (C.E.P.A.).

New Delhi also did not get a firm Japanese assurance on
cooperation on the civil nuclear energy sector since the
atomic issue is a "sensitive" factor in the nation that has
been at the receiving end of a nuclear attack during WW II.

The Prime Minister, however, appeared unperturbed.

"I look forward to an early conclusion of a high quality
and mutually beneficial C.E.P.A.," he said.

On the nuclear cooperation issue, Singh said: "It is our
sincere desire to strengthen and deepen our cooperation with
Japan in civil nuclear energy".

"But I do recognise sensitivity of this issue in Japan
and I therefore mentioned to His Excellency the Prime Minister
that we will move at a pace at which the Japanese Government
and people are comfortable with," Singh said during a joint
press conference with Aso.

Describing himself as a "frequent visitor" to Japan,
Singh said: "it has been my earnest desire, for the past
several decades, to see this relationship prosper and grow. I
am very happy to witness today the transformation of
India-Japan relations. It is truly developing into a global
and strategic partnership as envisaged when Prime Minister
Yoshiro Mori visited India in 2000".

"In the past 60 years, we have broadened and deepened the
relationship into a durable and productive partnership," he
said at an event, attended by prominent members of the growing
Indian community in Japan.

Singh said the past four years have seen a qualitative
upgradation in bilateral relationship, adding that the Joint
Statement that he and Aso signed Wednesday reflected the
"significant progress we have made since the establishment of
our Strategic and Global Partnership in December 2006."

The prime minister also thanked Japan for the economic
assistance it has provided to India and stressed that
bilateral engagement between the two nations must be widened.

"Japan is a major economic partner of India. We are
grateful for the economic assistance that we have got from
Japan. India today happens to be the largest recipient of
Japanese Official Development Assistance.

"Prime Minister Aso and I agreed that our economic
engagement must be widened and deepened," he said, adding that
he told Aso that "sky is the limit for Japanese investment
into India."

Inviting Japanese businesses to come to India and invest
in its future, the prime minister ensured they will be
provided a "congenial investment climate".

"On our part we will do all that is necessary to create a
congenial investment climate," he said.

On the implementation of the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai
Industrial Corridor (D.M.I.C.) project being built with
Japanese assistance, Singh said the joint collaboration on the
Dedicated Freight Corridor will shortly begin.

"This will transform the scale and magnitude of our
economic partnership," he said.

Referring to the signing of a Joint Declaration on
Security Cooperation, Singh said: "This reflects our shared
desire to contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in
Asia and in the world".

However, he quickly added that the security agreement was
not aimed at any third country, especially China.

The two prime ministers also covered regional and global
issues, particularly the international financial crisis.

"We agreed that we will work together and coordinate our
thinking on this important issue of today. India and Japan, I
believe can serve as a new Zone of Growth to counter the
global economic slowdown," Singh said.

India and Japan have agreed to cooperate in key areas of
common interests such as energy security and climate change,
East Asia Summit, United Nations reforms and other
multilateral issues such as the W.T.O. negotiations.

Aso informed Singh that Japan is keen to participate in
the development of I.I.T.s in Hyderabad and Jabalpur, while
Singh invited Aso to visit India at a mutually convenient time
next year to continue their annual dialogue.

The Prime Minister also held a breakfast meeting with
ex-premier Mori. This was followed by a visit by senior
Opposition leaders and attended a reception hosted by India
Association and Japan India Parliamentary Friendship league.

"Altogether this has been a most satisfying visit for me
and thank His Excellency the Prime Minister for having made a
very important contribution to successful outcome of this
important meeting," Singh concluded.

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