Simran SodhiTribune News Service,New Delhi, December 12

India and Japan today signed an agreement on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, bringing to end years of tough negotiations between the two countries. The agreement was signed during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to India. Another hallmark agreement signed between the two countries is building of the first bullet train network between Mumbai and Ahmedabad at a cost of about Rs 98,000 crore.The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on nuclear energy was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abe. “No friend will matter more in realising India’s economic dreams than Japan. We have made enormous progress in economic cooperation as also in our regional partnership and security cooperation,” said Modi after signing the deal.Abe in return said his country’s public and private sector would act in unison to support the growth of India. It is also learnt that during the one-hour summit meeting between the two Prime Ministers, Abe said he was pleased that the two countries had an agreement and that it ‘wouldn’t have been accomplished by other Prime Ministers. No other leaders could have done it”.While the MoU on nuclear deal brings an end to the negotiations between India and Japan, the process is yet to be completed. Yasuhisa Kawamura, Press Secretary accompanying Abe, at a media briefing explained that the final document will have to “withstand the scrutiny of the Diet (parliament)” before Japan can go ahead with the implementation side of the deal. In other words, the MoU today lays the groundwork for the final agreement which will be signed after technical details have been sorted out.Kawamura also said if India was to go in for another nuclear test, “It will be quite natural for Japan to review the cooperation”. But he added Japan did not see that happening. The joint statement issued at the end of the summit states: “The two Prime Ministers welcomed the agreement reached between the two governments on the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of India for cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy and confirmed that this agreement will be signed after the technical details are finalised, including those related to the necessary internal procedures.”Another significant announcement was in the area of defence that Japan would now be a regular partner in the India-US Malabar exercises.

Key pacts signed

• Transfer of defence equipment and technology; Security measures for protection of classified military information
• Regular consultations on maritime safety and security of sea lanes of communication; Japan to be a regular partner in the India-US Malabar exercises
• Amendment of Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) to help reduce tax avoidance
• $12 bn Japanese fund for its companies to manufacture in India. Another $5 bn under Overseas Development Assistance to India
• India to extend ‘visa on arrival’ to Japanese people from March 1 next year PTI

Japan to import Maruti cars

• In a first, Japan will import cars from India. ‘Maruti (Suzuki) will manufacture here… The Japanese company will manufacture here and export it to Japan,” PM Narendra Modi said. Maruti expects to export Baleno to Japan from January 2016 with a target of 20,000 to 30,000 units a year. — PTI