TOKYO, Oct 25 � India would like Japan to be a partner in its nuclear energy programme because of its advanced capabilities and the important role it has been playing in the global supply chain. �We are negotiating with Japan for an agreement on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy,� Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh told the Japanese media here in an interview.
�We see nuclear energy as a vital component of our global energy mix.Our nuclear industry is poised for a major expansion and there will be huge opportunities for the global nuclear industry to participate in the expansion of India�s nuclear energy programme,� he said.
Asked if India was agreeable to the condition that Japan would annul the nuclear cooperation if India went for another nuclear test, Dr Singh said that India was committed to maintaining its unilateral and voluntary moratorium on nuclear explosive testing , even as its position on the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is well known.�We are ready to work with Japan and like-minded countries in realizing the vision of a nuclear weapon-free world,� he added.
The Prime Minister avoided a direct reply to a question whether India will counter Chinese aggressiveness or accept it as a reasonable phenomenon by saying that it was incumbent on all nations of the region to build cooperative partnerships and work towards an open and inclusive regional framework. �Inter-State relations must be based on the five principles of peaceful co-existence with which we approach our relations wiyh China, with whom we have a strategic and cooperative partnership,� he said.
Asked to comment on India�s strategy on United Nations Security Council reforms and its efforts to become a permanent member, the Prime Minister said early reforms are of utmost importance to enhance the credibility and effectiveness of the Council.He said the proposal of the G-4 countries for reform of the Security Council, including expansion of its permanent and non-permanent membership and improvement in its working methods enjoys high degree of support and acceptance among UN members.
On the challenge posed by Climate Change , the Prime Minister, spelling out India's initiatives, said that India has declared a voluntary target of bringing down by 2020, the emissions intensity of its GDP by 20-25 per cent over the level in 2005. �We have put in place an ambitious National Action Plan on Climate Change,� he said.
Welcoming Japanese investments in India , the Prime Minister said that India is now recognised as the best long-term investment destination by Japanese companies. Lauding Japanese help in developing infrastructure growth in India , he said that Japanese companies were offering assistance to build metro rail services in several cities in India. He also lauded Japan for its involvement in the Dedicated Freight Corridor Project as well as the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project which will open up vast opportunities for Japanese businessmen for mutually beneficial cooperation.
