Japan to help India in the safety of nuke reactors -Governance Now

Japan to help India in the safety of nuke reactors

Fresh signs of revival of nuclear cooperation between the two countries after Japan put a pause on such collaborations with other countries in the 'Fukushima' aftermath

Trithesh Nandan | June 7, 2011

Uncertainty surrounding the Indo-Japan civilian nuclear deal in the wake of Fukushima nuclear disaster, after which the country had announced a hiatus in nuclear coopeartion could see the light of the day. On his visit to India, Japan's deputy minister (economy), foreign affairs, Shinichi Nishimiya, indicated on Tuesday that such a cooperation on the matters of improving the safety of nuclear reactors with New Delhi could be on cards.

“We are taking a fresh re-look on the nuclear energy policy with different countries,” Nishimiya told reporters in New Delhi.

He added, “Japan's new policy on energy cooperation is based on ‘safe’ nuclear power, clean fossil fuel, renewables and energy conservation. In all four sectors, there is scope for bilateral cooperation between the two countries.”

Earlier, Japan had raised apprehension about India, which is not a signatory to the CTBT and NPT. Both the countries established a Joint Working Group (JWG) in 2010 on civil-nuclear cooperation to fast track the deal but are yet to sign a nuclear deal.

After signing of Indo-US civilian nuclear deal in 2008, India had signed nuclear deals with eight different countries (US, France, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina, Namibia and Canada).

The deputy minister also offered disaster management technology to India. “Japan has the cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and India continues to grow at a rapid pace,” Nishimiya added.

Prime minister Manmohan Singh last week chaired a meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) where he stressed on the need for better preparedness to deal with nuclear accidents. After Japan’s nuclear accident, the naysayers in India have criticised country’s expansion of nuclear energy programme.

Nishimiya also said that “India is projected ahead of China as long term economic prospect, particularly in the area of manufacturing, by the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation.”

“Japan expects to accelerate bilateral trade with India despite the earthquake-tsunami-nuclear radiation leakage,” Nishimiya told reporters.

Two- way trade between India and Japan has grown from $ 9.3 billion a year earlier to 12.9 billion in 2010.

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