New Delhi, Dec 28: Notwithstanding the Fukushima incident, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda today made it clear that his country was keen on having a civil nuclear deal with India, hoping that it will be finalised soon.
Noda, who is on an official visit to India, welcomed the progress in talks with India on a bilateral civil nuclear deal and expressed the hope that it will be finalised soon. He hailed India's self-imposed moratorium on no-first use of nuclear weapons and hoped this stance would continue.
“Japan is the only country which was attacked by a nuclear weapon,” he said, adding that its safe use was the tenet for his country's relations with other nations.
In reply to a question at a programme organised by Indian Council of World Affairs, Noda said, “At the working level, discussions on the civil nuclear deal have proceeded in the right direction. I welcome this progress. I am hopeful it will be achieved.”
He stated that he had discussed this issue with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna. The latter was present on the occasion.
Noda's comments assume significance as there have been questions on the fate of the proposed deal, which is under negotiation, after the radiation scare in Fukushima when Tsunami hit a nuclear plant there on March 11.
Noda said the knowledge and lessons drawn from the damage to Fukushima nuclear plant- during the Tsunami in Japan- would be shared by the two countries to prevent such incidents in future.
