India, Japan Sign Deals On Bullet Train, Defence, Civil Nuclear Energy

A Dollars 12-billion deal for India’s first ever bullet train network, an MoU on civil nuclear energy cooperation and sharing defence technology were among key agreements India and Japan today sealed to take forward their special strategic and global partnership to a new height.

REUTERS/Adnan AbidiJapan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (L) and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi shares a moment during a signing of agreement at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, December 12, 2015.

“This enterprise will launch a revolution in Indian railways and speed up India’s journey into the future”, said Mr. Modi Saturday.

The train will reduce travelling time between the two cities to three hours from eight.

During the talks, there was progress on civil nuclear energy between the two countries, but no final agreement has been reached as some differences remain to be ironed out.

They also agreed a memorandum of understanding on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, which will be signed once technical details have been finalised.

Apparently, the Indian side gave assurances to Japan’s strong non-proliferation lobby to expedite the deal, but the Japanese preferred to play safe and sought time necessary for Prime Minister Abe to convince the Japanese parliament on the assurances given by India.

Without making a direct reference to the concerns among some countries about China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, Modi also said India stood strongly for ensuring freedom of navigation and over-flight, and unimpeded maritime commerce.

“Modi and Abe are telegraphing a striking message: We’re taking this relationship to the next level, even at the risk of roiling China”, said Michael Kugelman, senior associate at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. He said the pact will help Westinghouse Electric Corporation and GE Energy Inc to do nuclear business in India as both have Japanese investments.

Abe expressed Japan’s intention to provide ODA loans for the improvement of road network connectivity in northeastern states of India, the peripheral ring road surrounding Bengaluru, and the horticulture irrigation in Jharkhand.

If an actual nuclear power agreement is signed, it would mark the first for Japan with a nation that has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

“What do you think will happen”, asked Yasuhisa Kawamura, Press Secretary, Director General for Press and Public Diplomacy of the Japanese government when asked how Japan will react if India goes in for a nuclear test. However, the rising profile of the Indo-Japanese relationship also needs to be seen in another context. Such Japanese officers are also being posted in Amman, Cairo and Jakarta, officials said. In recent months, India has pushed ahead with plans to build a $6 billion highway and populate the remote region it has neglected since fighting a war over it with China five decades ago.

Earlier Prime Minister Modi and Shinzo Abe performed the “Ganga Aarti” at the Dashashwamedh Ghat, which is one of the holiest places in Varanasi.

“The two Prime Ministers affirmed their commitment to work together for India to become a full member in the four global export control regimes: Nuclear Suppliers Group, Missile Technology Control Regime, Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group”, said the statement.