India, Japan unveil new global partnership

By C. Raja Mohan

NEW DELHI, AUG. 23. Finessing their differences over the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and economic sanctions, India and Japan today unveiled a new global partnership for the 21st century.

The visiting Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Yoshiro Mori, did not hear from the Indian leaders the much vaunted promise to sign the CTBT. New Delhi, however, did reiterate its commitment not to test any more nuclear weapons.

Briefing the press on the talks between the two Prime Ministers, the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, said the Government had conveyed to Japan the unambiguous nature of the voluntary Indian moratorium on nuclear tests.

India reaffirmed that it ``will not stand in the way'' of the entry-into-force of the CTBT. The Government was suggesting that when key countries such as the United States were ready to breathe life into the treaty, India would not be found wanting.

On the economic sanctions imposed by Japan after the Pokhran nuclear tests of May 1998, New Delhi refused to ask Tokyo to lift the economic sanctions. But it would no doubt have been pleased with such a unilateral announcement from Mr. Mori.

Mr. Mori, however, did suggest that Japan was beginning to chip away at the sanctions regime. According to Mr. Singh, Japan would now resume lending for some old projects that were in the pipeline before the sanctions took effect.

Among the main beneficiaries in India would be the Delhi Metro and the Simhadri power project in Andhra Pradesh that were tied to soft loans from Japan.

A Japanese decision to lift the sanctions or an Indian move to sign the CTBT could have dramatically transformed the bilateral relations. But neither side could overcome the political difficulties at home to make the bold political decisions.

Satisfying themselves with whatever they could get from the other side, the two countries announced some decisions that could hopefully take them to the destination of a political partnership in the 21st century.

A formal Indo-Japanese security dialogue would soon start between the two defence and foreign policy establishments. The first round of this dialogue will be held later this year.

The two sides agreed to intensify bilateral exchanges at the highest political level and Mr. Mori extended invitations to the President and the Prime Minister to visit Japan. It was also decided to set up a group of eminent persons to come up with ideas for long-term bilateral cooperation.

The visiting Prime Minister, who arrived here last evening from Bangalore, was given a ceremonial welcome in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan this morning. During the day, he met the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, and the Vice- President, Mr. Krishan Kant.

Later in the evening, Mr. Mori held substantive talks with the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, at the Hyderabad House, followed by a banquet.

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