India and Japan signed the much-anticipated civil nuclear cooperation agreement that will fasten India’s nuclear energy projects. The agreement will promote nuclear energy projects in India and is an indication of the country’s ability to support nuclear energy projects despite an outsider of the NSG.
“This agreement is a legal framework that India will act responsibly in peaceful uses of nuclear energy and also in Non-Proliferation regime even though India is not a participant or signatory of NPT,” Modi said referring to the significance of the agreement for India as the country is not a member of the NSG.
Prime Minister Modi and his Japanese counterpart signed the agreement culminating almost six years’ effort.
Modi is on a three-day visit to Japan for the annual summit between the two prime ministers that may cement economic engagement between the two countries including the Bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahamedabad.
Japan is one of the strong opponent of India’s Pokhran test but later joined India’s effort to produce clean energy after New Delhi’s declared commitment on nuclear technology non-proliferation.
The agreement is an achievement as the country doesn’t have the membership in the critical Nuclear Supplier Group. Interestingly, with Japan and the US signing civil nuclear cooperation agreements, India is now able to reduce the effect of pushed down from the NSG by a few countries led by China.
The deal was facilitated by personal rapport between Abe and Modi as well as the rampant opposition extended by China who always had indicated unpleasantness in the strengthening ties between New Delhi and Tokyo.
Already, Westignhouse Electric Company which is a US subsidiary of Japan’s Toshiba Corp. and the Frech Areva, too, has agreed to develop reactors for nuclear energy projects in India. The Company has accesses to key reactor components from Japanese firms.
After the agreement with Japan, India has civil nuclear agreement with major nuclear powers -US, Russia, France, besides Mongolia, South Korea, Argentina, Canada, Kazakhstan, Namibia and Australia.
