Japan to suspend nuclear cooperation talks with India: Report

Tokyo, Jul 17 (PTI) The Japanese government has decided
to suspend negotiations with India and four other countries on
civil nuclear cooperation following Prime Minister Naoto Kan's
call for Japan's eventual exit from atomic power, according to
a media report.
Any move to proceed with the talks now "could risk
contradicting the Prime Minister's policy," an unnamed
government source was quoted as saying by 'Kyodo' news agency.
The report said the government will suspend talks with
India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey and the United Arab
Emirates on the sale of Japanese-made nuclear power equipment
and technology. The decision concerns negotiations over
completing separate nuclear power cooperation agreements with
these countries.
Negotiations with all five countries have been stalled
since the killer earthquake and tsunami in March triggered the
nuclear crisis in Japan's Fukushima Prefecture.
The source also indicated the government will not
schedule any high-level talks with the five prospective
nations on completing nuclear cooperation accords without
getting Kan's nod, the report said.
Ministries involved in forging the accord, including the
Industry Ministry and the Foreign Ministry, will hold off to
also see if and when Kan resigns.
Kan has expressed his intention to step down if three
conditions are met during the current Diet (Parliament)
session that concludes at the end of August, including the
passage of a bill aimed at promoting the use of renewable
energy sources.