M A I N   N E W S

CTBT onus on US, China: PM
* Manmohan, Japanese PM discuss strategic ties
* Tokyo keen on hi-tech trade with India
* Joint statement unveils action plan
Ashok Tuteja
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 29
While asserting that New Delhi would firmly stick to its policy of unilateral and voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today made it clear to Japan that India would consider its option on the CTBT only after the US and China ratified the treaty.

Should the US and China ratify the CTBT, a new situation would emerge, he told his Japanese counterpart Yukio Hatoyama during their bilateral talks here. “I believe he (Manmohan Singh) has stated it as a matter of fact. We firmly have to engage in these endeavours,” the Japanese premier said at a joint media interaction with the Indian PM soon after the talks at the Hyderabad House.

The two leaders issued a joint statement to take the India-Japan strategic and global partnership to the next level and also an action plan to advance security cooperation between their two countries.

Civil nuclear cooperation was among key issues that the two Prime Ministers discussed at length. The prospect of closer security cooperation, however, did not translate into a breakthrough in the area of civil nuclear cooperation due to differences over the CTBT. But Japan indicated that it was not averse to engaging in high technology trade with India in the years to come. The joint statement reflected the view of the two countries on this critical issue.

“Recognising the role of technology cooperation in the bilateral partnership, the two PMs took note of the progress made by the bilateral consultative mechanism on high technology trade, and decided to step up efforts to facilitate such trade by addressing respective concerns, including export controls,” read the statement.

The action plan, based on a declaration signed in October last year, unveils a new “2 plus 2” dialogue framework at the sub Cabinet/senior official level involving the External Affairs and the Defence ministries.

The two leaders vowed to push for an early conclusion of an economic partnership agreement to scale up trade and investment and cooperate on a range of global issues, including the UN reforms, climate change and nuclear disarmament, the joint further said.

But the differences between the two countries on the CTBT were quite evident. Hatoyama admitted that the two countries had ‘differences’ over the CTBT and the NPT. Pointing out that he had discussed the issue with Manmohan Singh, he said: “I expressed the hope that along with the US and China, India will sign and ratify the (CTBT) treaty.’’

In response, Hatoyama quoted the Indian Prime Minister as saying that new situation would emerge if the US and China were to ratify the CTBT.

On his part, Manmohan Singh said India was deeply interested in working with Japan and other like-minded countries to promote the cause of universal, verifiable and non-discriminatory disarmament.

The Indian PM said he had also explained to the Japanese leader the circumstances in which India conducted nuclear tests in 1998.

“I also mentioned that India has unilaterally declared moratorium on conducting nuclear explosive testing and that is a commitment we will honour,” the Indian leader added.

Manmohan Singh also stated that the economic partnership between India and Japan was the bedrock of bilateral ties. Over the last few years, the two countries have diversified ties in the areas of defence, security and counterterrorism.

Hatoyama: Go for bullet trains
Ashok Tuteja
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 29
A super fast train, running at a speed of 250-300 km/ hour, between Delhi, Chandigarh and Amristar may not be a distant dream if India expedites a decision on Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s proposal to import the bullet train technology from Japan.

The proposal was made by the Japanese leader at a joint press conference here today with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after talks between the two leaders.

“We would like to see this (bullet train) technology being used in India, which will be beneficial to both sides,” the visiting leader said, emphasising that the technology was absolutely safe. “Since its inception (in Japan), there has been no fatal accident,” said the Japanese PM.Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee was among members of the Indian delegation present at the joint press interaction of the two PMs.

Railways Ministry sources said a study was already on for running a super fast train between Delhi, Chandigarh and Amritsar.

The sources said the Railways had identified six rail routes for setting up elevated corridors to run super fast trains. They include the Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Chennai-Hyderabad and Howrah-Haldia routes.