New Delhi, Jan. 17: As deputy national security adviser, Mr Alok Prasad, gets ready to assume duties as the Indian ambassador to Japan, the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Naoto Kan’s government in Tokyo has indicated that Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), and India’s signing of it, are not likely to be stumbling blocks for a civil nuclear cooperation agreement being negotiated by the two countries.
According to sources privy to the negotiating process, CTBT is not a “requirement”; Japan would be willing to go with India’s assurance of continuing its voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing. It is indicative of the relative progress made by the negotiators since the former Japanese foreign minister, Mr Katsuya Okada’s visit here in August 2010 when he urged New Delhi to ratify the CTBT.
India and Japan began negotiations in the area in June 2010.
A source said Tokyo understands India's constraints; there is “political will” on the Japanese side but any delay in finalising the pact would primarily be on account of the need for Tokyo to take a “political decision on how to wrap it up”.
For its part, Tokyo has indicated that it is getting closer to the final stage of negotiations, although there were some issues that needed to be sorted out.
The source said Tokyo recognises the opportunities for the Japanese companies in the Indian civil nuclear energy sector, particularly in reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, and therefore it “does not want to waste time”.
Another contributing factor is the fact that American and French companies having joint ventures or collaborations with Japanese businesses would be handicapped in the absence of an enabling agreement between India and Japan.
Mr Yukio Hatoyama, Mr Kan’s predecessor as the prime minister in the Democratic Party of Japan-led government, is hopeful that the bilateral nuclear pact can be clinched sooner than later.
Mr Hatoyama said that while the Japanese people have particular sentiments about nuclear energy, the need to help India produce the energy it will need in the future cannot be ignored.