PM Modi’s decisions fast like bullet trains, reliable too: Shinzo Abe

NEW DELHI, DEC 12: As both countries “in principle” agreed for cooperation in civil nuclear energy, Japan today cautioned India that it will be “quite natural” for it to review its cooperation if New Delhi goes for a nuclear test. In the meeting it was decided that Japan would help to build India’s first bullet train network between Mumbai- Ahmedabad costing of around Rs. 98000 crores. “It is (a) shining symbol of a new level of mutual confidence and strategic partnership”, PM Modi said. The framework will enhance defence and security cooperation by making available defence equipment and technology necessary to implement joint research and joint production.

The annual India-Japan summit also saw Modi and Abe agreeing to step up security and defence cooperation, and inking two agreements, which would pave the way for transfer of defence equipment and technology between the two nations. JAPAN TO IMPORT MARUTI SUZUKI CARS Modi on Saturday said that for the “first time” India will export to Japan cars which will be made at home by Maruti Suzuki as part of the “Make in India” initiative.

As he arrived in India Friday, Prime Minister Abe flagged the importance of their growing security ties, writing in an editorial in the Times of India that “in order to maintain an open, free and peaceful sea, it becomes important more and more for there to be collaboration between Japan and India, as well as the global community including the U.S”.

Though India and Japan are likely to take some more months to actually sign the nuclear agreement, the breakthrough reached during Modi-Abe meeting in New Delhi is significant, as it signalled substantial progress in the protracted negotiation for a deal, which would clear roads for bilateral cooperation in peaceful use of atomic energy. “We have raised the level of our trilateral dialogue and launched a new one”, he said.

After the talks, Modi also announced that “Recognising our special relationship, India will extend ‘visa on arrival to all Japanese citizens from 1st March 2016.”.

Thereafter, Modi and Abe will interact with dignitaries over dinner wherein invitees include, besides the Governor, the CM and the Union Ministers, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, renowned musician and Padma Bhushan awardee Pandit Channu Lal Mishra, author Neerja Madhav, Pandit Ashok Dwivedi of the Kashi Visvanath Temple Trust and a number of other prominent personalities from various walks of life. “They have the institutional mechanisms for long-term concessional infrastructure financing”.

“They underlined the need for all countries to effectively deal with trans-national terrorism emanating from their territory”.

On the occasion of the 70th year since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, PMs reaffirmed their shared commitment to the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

Jaishankar said Japanese side was conveyed about the various aspects of India’s nuclear liability regime. With Abe’s activist defence posture, India and Japan can work together with other partners like the United States for regional security, ” the former foreign secretary adds. “They also urged North Korea to address at the earliest the abductions issue”, the statement said.