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Indian PM's special envoy to visit Japan for N-support

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Jan 12, IRNA
India-Japan-Saran
With Japan's reservations over India's civil nuclear ambitions persisting, Prime Minister's Special Envoy Shyam Saran will travel there on Saturday to make an effort to bring Tokyo around.

Saran will hold talks with Japanese leadership and lobby for support of the key member of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a PTI report quoted sources as saying.

He is expected to explain in detail the reasons for India's aspirations for civil nuclear energy and point out the impeccable track record with regard to non-proliferation.

The special envoy is likely to underline that India needs civil nuclear energy to meet its growing needs in view of its rapid economic progress.

The recent enactment of law by the US to allow trade with India in civil nuclear field despite its strategic program is expected to be cited to back New Delhi's case.

Significantly, the visit will take place three days after Japan made it clear that it wanted India to join NPT regime as a non-nuclear state.

"We will continue to seek the admission of India into the NPT as a non-nuclear weapons state," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said Thursday and urged New Delhi to abandon its atomic weapons program.

Japan, the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack, had about a month back indicated softening of stand when it agreed to engage in discussions with India on the nuclear issue.

The willingness to discuss India's civil nuclear aspirations was expressed after after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh discussed the matter with his counterpart Shinzo Abe during his visit to Tokyo.

Singh, while emphasizing India's unshaken commitment to non-proliferation, told Abe that as the country's economy grows, there would be an increasing demand for energy and nuclear power was a must to cope with it.

Saran, who has been the negotiator for Indo-US civil nuclear deal, is currently engaged in lobbying with NSG members for support for New Delhi's aspirations.

Much progress has been made in this regard but some countries continue to have reservations, with Japan being one of them.

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