Japan visit: Trade, technology and bullet trains on PM Narendra Modi's agenda
The two countries are expected to sign a civil nuclear cooperation agreement that will enable United States-based atomic firms to set up plants in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday left for Japan on his second visit to the country as prime minister. Modi’s visit will focus on developing trade and technology ties. India and Japan are expected to sign a civil nuclear cooperation agreement that will enable United States-based atomic firms Westinghouse Electric Corporation and GE Energy to set up plants in India, NDTV reported.
The prime minister, on Facebook, said, “India and Japan see each other through a prism of shared Buddhist heritage, democratic values, and commitment to a rules-based global order.” Modi said he will interact with top business leaders in the country, which is one of the major investors in India. He is also scheduled to visit the country’s emperor and discuss bilateral cooperation with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on November 11.
The prime minister said he will visit Kobe on the Shinkansen bullet train, the technology of which will be incorporated for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Railway. He said, “The high speed railway cooperation between India and Japan is a shining example of the strength of our cooperation.”
On September 5, a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official had said the country would work with India on the latter’s bid to secure a spot in the Nuclear Suppliers Group because Tokyo believes that New Delhi’s presence in the elite group will help it promote non-proliferation, The Times of India reported. While talks about the deal have been under way for years, they reached a roadblock during the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster in 2011. The issue gains significance as Japan is the only country to have been targeted by atom bombs and India is not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, NDTV reported.
India and Japan had confirmed a wide-ranging agreement during Abe’s visit to the country in December, 2015. The two countries have sought to take advantage of their cordial ties, especially in light of their mutual need to offset China’s growing power.