Manmohan Singh hosts Japanese PM in private dinner

New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Setting the tone for their
substantive talks Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and his Japanese counterpart Yukio Hatoyama Monday night
had an overview of bilateral relations and international
issues at a private dinner hosted by the Indian leader.
The two leaders will discuss tomorrow ways to enhance
ties in various fields including security, trade and explore
the possibility of cooperation in civil nuclear energy.
Regional issues like situation in Afghanistan and
international matters including climate change and reforms in
UNSC will also come up for discussions.
Hatoyama, who is on his first official visit after taking
over in mid-September, was accompanied by his wife Miyuki
Hatoyama at the dinner hosted by Singh and his wife Gursharan
Kaur at their 7 Race Course Road residence.
Hatoyama is here to "feel the pulse of the vibrant, fast
emerging India personally," Japanese Foreign Ministry
spokesman Kazuo Kodama said, adding the visit is aimed at
translating the India-Japan strategic and global partnership
into more "action-oriented" cooperation.
Kodama indicated that civil nuclear cooperation will be
among the issues to be discussed during the Summit talks.
Japanese business community is keen to have civil nuclear
cooperation with India but the policy of their government is
preventing this.
Though Japan welcomes India's unilateral moratorium on
nuclear tests, it "hopes" that it will sign and ratify CTBT,
Kodama said.
Asked whether the two leaders will deliberate on civil
nuclear cooperation, Kodama said the issue is important in
respect of climate change and "will always be discussed."
On hi-technology trade between the two countries, Kodama,
also Special Spokesman for Hatoyama, said "Japan believes that
cooperation in hi-technology will not only be beneficial to
India and Japan but also to the global community at large."
Noting that the export control regime in his country was
very "vigorous", he said a bilateral consultative committee is
already exchanging views on the issue and more information
would be required by Japan before any decision is taken.
About tomorrow's meeting, he said the two leaders will
also review the action plan prepared by officials on security
cooperation agreement signed during Singh's visit last year to
Japan.
To a question on the possibility of India getting APEC
membership, he ruled it out for the moment saying that the
membership has been frozen till next year.
On increasing cooperation between India and Japan at
various areas particularly security, Kodama said it was not
aimed against China or any other country.
With regard to climate change, he said Japan wants a fair
and effective international legal framework to ensure cutting
emissions with fixed targets for both long-term as well as
mid-term levels. PTI PYK
DDC