CB BureauOn his official work visit to Japan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh engaged in extensive talks on bilateral, regional and global issues with his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan on October 25.
Both the prime ministers welcomed India-Japan cooperation in development of new and renewable energy, clean coal technology and enhancing energy efficiency in India’s power sector. They agreed to encourage India-Japan ‘ministerial-level energy dialogue’ to facilitate pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation in other related areas to further strengthen energy security.
Recognizing the importance of rare earths and rare metals for future industries, the two prime ministers decided to explore the possibility of bilateral cooperation in development, recycling and re-use of rare earths and rare metals for research and development of their industrial substitutes.
On the issue of climate change, the two dignitaries reiterated the importance of a positive result for the current climate change negotiations at the forthcoming conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Mexico. They reaffirmed their determination to work together towards this conference. They agreed that the Copenhagen Accord should contribute positively to such an outcome.
Prime Minister Kan stressed the importance of bringing into force the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) at an early date. On his part, Singh reiterated India’s commitment to a unilateral and voluntary moratorium on nuclear explosive testing. They reaffirmed their commitment to working together for immediate commencement and an early conclusion of negotiations on a non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) in the Conference on Disarmament (COD.
Kan condemned terrorist attacks in and against India and promised to enhance greater cooperation in combating terrorism through information-sharing and counter-terrorism training as well as utilizing the India-Japan joint working group on counter-terrorism.
Manmohan Singh congratulated Japan for hosting the 10th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP) on biodiversity in Nagoya on October 18-29, 2010, and wished it a successful outcome, including the adoption of the protocol on ‘access’ and ‘benefit’ sharing.
As prospective host of the next meeting of COP on Biodiversity in 2012, India looks forward to a close working relationship with Japan during its presidency.