N-deal with Japan in limbo

[LETHALFORCE]

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News

The fate of a civil nuclear deal between India and Japan has become uncertain. Tokyo is learnt to have decided to suspend talks with India and four other countries concerning the sale of Japanese-made nuclear power equipment and technology after Prime Minister Naoto Kan's recent declaration that he wants to phase out the use of nuclear energy.

The decision concerns negotiations over completing separate nuclear power cooperation agreements with India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Negotiations with all five countries have stalled since the earthquake and tsunami in March triggered a nuclear crisis in northeastern Japan.

Japan needs to sign bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement with a foreign country and have it endorsed by Parliament in order to export nuclear power technology and equipment.

Any move to proceed with the talks now "could risk contradicting the Prime Minister's policy," government sources were quoted as saying by the Japanese news agency Kyodo.

So the government will not schedule any high-level talks with the five prospective buyer countries on completing nuclear cooperation accords without a green light from Kan, the sources indicated.

Tokyo's decision could give a major setback to India's ambitious civil nuclear energy programme. India and Japan have been negotiating a nuclear agreement since June last year. Top officials of the two countries have so far held two rounds of talks but differences persist on many critical issues.

There were apprehensions in New Delhi since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March that the radiation fallout could affect the nuclear deal that the two countries were considering to formally announce during the Japanese PM's visit to India towards the end of the year.

The talks on the pact with India had triggered an outcry in Japan from survivors of the 1945 US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They expressed fears that the deal would hamper global efforts to realise a world without atomic weapons.

In the event of an India-Japan nuclear deal not materialising, American and French nuclear majors too would find it difficult to enter the Indian nuclear market.

Setback for India

n Tokyo has decided to suspend talks with India and four other countries concerning the sale of N-power equipment and technology after Prime Minister Naoto Kan's recent declaration that he wants to phase out the use of nuclear energy.

n If the deal is called off, it will be a major jolt to India's ambitious civil nuclear energy programme. India and Japan have been negotiating a nuclear agreement since June last year. Top officials of the two countries have so far held two rounds of talks.

n If Japan pulls out, American and French nuclear majors too would find it difficult to enter the Indian nuclear market. They can't sell N-plant technology to India without the approval of the Japanese industry.

 

[hit&run]

Japanese can sell sophisticated technology of Pakistan and then at the same time can pretend as a country with some high moral grounds on Issue of nuclear non proliferation.
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Our PM has also mentioned on his Japan visit that he is not in a hurry or do not wants to create any pressure on Japan with one trillion dollar of urban development projects chip in his pocket. The message was loud and clear. Furthermore if Japan think that he still has a product to sell then i would say that the customers trust would be lowest on their product, even if they are ready to sell after pathetic performance of their nuclear reactors; bursting like pop corns following tsunami floods.
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If they think that they have alien nuclear technology then i would say please keep it to yourself we do not need. All we need is the fuel and we are capable of extracting anything out of that fuel at whim.

 

[sanjay]

We can trade with their South Korean rivals - or perhaps even their North Korean ones. Let's see how they like that.

 

[Tshering22]

We can trade with their South Korean rivals - or perhaps even their North Korean ones. Let's see how they like that.

North Koreans are Pakistani pets. Better stick to Southees who're nice and willing to compete for nuclear technology. Remember, UAE recently got a nuke deal with South Korea.

 

[nitesh]

he he he, so ultimately the nuclear deal is getting reduced to only about getting the uninterrupted fuel supply from those who are willing to sell the fuel. Well, I guess we can live with that

 

[KS]

I don't care about anyone when it comes to Nuke energy except the French.

They have the best stuff, the best technology among everyone and if the French are willing to play tango then I guess the Nuke deal has given its intended benefit.

 

[S.A.T.A]

The talks will only resume if the Japanese PM is fails to sell his plans, to phase out Japans nuclear power reactors,to the Japanese parliament.After Germany it looks like Japan too might abandon its dependence on nuclear reactors to power its energy needs.The other day i was talking about how India needs to reassess its own plans to commission mega new nuclear power plants,The Japanese decision,coming after Germany's decision to quit the nuclear path,should give us further food for thought.

The Japanese PM was candid about the concerns on the safety aspect of nuclear power plants,which prompted this soul searching,in the wake of the Fukushima crisis.The Japanese PM is right in stating that nuclear safety parameters was beyond the conventional standards of industrial safety,there is absolutely no scope for a acceptable safety equation,its either hundreds percent safe or its not safe.Even a fraction of chance that the safety measure will not stand a crisis,is a prelude to catastrophe.

Before we engage those countries who are still keen on pursuing the civilian nuclear power prorammes,we should make drastic reassessment of our own civilian nuclear power plans.

P.S:With Germany pulling out,and japan mulling on the same, how long will France and Britain hold out,before following suit.

 

[Zebra]

India, Japan to resume n-deal talks, launch maritime dialogue

April 30, 2012 , by IANS .

Indian Defence News - India, Japan to resume n-deal talks, launch maritime dialogue