N-pact 'significant outcome' of PM's Japan visit: Government

New Delhi, Nov 23: Prime Minister rendra Modi’s recent Japan visit had a “significant outcome” in terms of the agreement on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the Rajya Sabha was told on Wednesday. “This agreement opens up new avenues of civil nuclear energy cooperation with intertiol partners,” Minister of State for Exterl Affairs M.J. Akbar told the House.

This will help rapidly expand the non-fossil fuel segment of energy production and contribute towards India keeping its commitments under the Paris Agreement, he added. Akbar was making an official statement in the upper House on Modi’s Japan visit for the annual summit meeting on November 11-12, 2016. The annual summit meeting mechanism had commenced in 2006, the same year when the India-Japan relationship was upgraded to Strategic and Global Partnership.

“The agreement is the first of its kind that Japan has signed with a non-sigtory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and underlines intertiol recognition of our responsible record,” the minister said. He informed the House that Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe attached great importance to Modi’s visit, which was evident from the fact that he spent a lot of time with the Indian Prime Minister. “Prime Minister Abe spent about nine hours during a crucial Diet (Japanese parliament) session with Prime Minister Modi, which conveys the importance that PM Abe attached to the visit,” Akbar said. Modi’s discussions with Abe were wide ranging and covered bilateral, regiol and intertiol issues. As a special gesture, Prime Minister Abe travelled together with the Prime Minister on Shinkansen High Speed Train to visit Kawasaki High Speed Rail facility in Kobe, he told the House. During the discussions between the two countries, the Japanese side was sensitised about India’s concerns on cross-border terrorism. “Prime Minister Abe condemned terrorism in strongest terms in all its forms and manifestations in the spirit of zero-tolerance, the minister said. Abe joined Modi in calling upon all countries to implement UNSC Resolution 1267 and other relevant resolutions desigting terrorist entities. A call was also made for elimition of terrorists’ safe havens and infrastructure, he said. (IANS)