Saudi Arabia's role in scuttling the Indo-Japan nuclear deal

t_co

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I have it on good authority that Saudi Arabia and Qatar had exercised their energy leverage on Japan to block a Indo-Japan nuclear deal. Apparently the KSA's goal was to 'preserve nuclear parity in South Asia'. A secondary goal was to deny India a source of nuclear fuel, as it is in the long-term interests of Saudi Arabia to maintain South Asia's dependence on fossil fuels for energy.

With Japan's sanctioning of Russia in line with the United States, Japan did not have much choice but to acquiesce. Saudi Arabia had threatened to cut off Japan from its "emergency oil supply" hotline.

Japan, India to step up security, economic cooperation "¹ Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

The two sides said they would step up talks on nuclear energy cooperation, claiming "significant progress" despite having failed to reach a last-minute agreement on safeguards sought by Japan. The two sides meanwhile pledged to strengthen work on preventing proliferation of nuclear weapons and on nuclear safety.
UPDATE 1-Japan, Saudi to sign emergency oil supply pact -paper | Reuters

Feb 7 (Reuters) - Japan and Saudi Arabia will sign an agreement this weekend that will allow Tokyo to make emergency requests for additional supplies of crude oil, Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported in its Friday edition.

The agreement would set up a telephone hotline between the two governments to allow Japan to quickly seek additional oil supplies in the event of extraordinary circumstances such as terrorist attacks, unrest in the Middle East or a spike in the price of oil.
 

Anoop Sajwan

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We should put our voice against such action in international level especially in front of USA. Although it is most likely that no one listen, so we should increase oil import from Iran to show KSA that we do have alternatives, a nuclear alternative.
 

Dhairya Yadav

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We should put our voice against such action in international level especially in front of USA. Although it is most likely that no one listen, so we should increase oil import from Iran to show KSA that we do have alternatives, a nuclear alternative.
Correct. We should maintain good relations with Iran. Why should we listen to US/NATO? We shouldnt succumb under any undue international pressure. Im confident that PM Modi will do something about this, as one of his top priority is to make India a regional power, not by military power, but by increasing bilateral trades. A BBC poll said that 71% of Iranian viewed India as positive influential regional power. This is the highest rating India has with any country in the world, Even after we went against Iran Nuclear Program in IAEA
 
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nrupatunga

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I have it on good authority that Saudi Arabia and Qatar had exercised their energy leverage on Japan to block a Indo-Japan nuclear deal. Apparently the KSA's goal was to 'preserve nuclear parity in South Asia'. A secondary goal was to deny India a source of nuclear fuel, as it is in the long-term interests of Saudi Arabia to maintain South Asia's dependence on fossil fuels for energy.

With Japan's sanctioning of Russia in line with the United States, Japan did not have much choice but to acquiesce. Saudi Arabia had threatened to cut off Japan from its "emergency oil supply" hotline.

Japan, India to step up security, economic cooperation "¹ Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion



UPDATE 1-Japan, Saudi to sign emergency oil supply pact -paper | Reuters
I didn't get you at all here. Though i haven't gone through the entire content of the links you have posted, at least the quoted parts do not say anything. And as far as the information you have from your "sources", what nuclear parity in south asia you are talking?? Both india & pakis have nuclear bombs. We need civilian nuclear technology. Or are you saying, since japan doesn't have deal with pakis for developing civilian nuclear technology hence saudis forced japan not to have a deal with india as well?? Also am not sure if japan is exporter of uranium. As far as uranium supply is concerned, we are trying to have deals with kazakhistan and australia etc. So please let us know through your sources as to what exactly saudis foiled??
 

amoy

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neither do I get the idea how Saudi can scuttle the deal!?

had there been no civil nuclear technology from Japan India still has access to Russian who's building reactors for India (Kudan Kulam?).

dependence on fossil fuel? KSA is never the sole supplier at all. there're Iran, Qatar"¦

Sent from my 5910 using Tapatalk 2
 

t_co

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I didn't get you at all here. Though i haven't gone through the entire content of the links you have posted, at least the quoted parts do not say anything. And as far as the information you have from your "sources", what nuclear parity in south asia you are talking?? Both india & pakis have nuclear bombs. We need civilian nuclear technology. Or are you saying, since japan doesn't have deal with pakis for developing civilian nuclear technology hence saudis forced japan not to have a deal with india as well?? Also am not sure if japan is exporter of uranium. As far as uranium supply is concerned, we are trying to have deals with kazakhistan and australia etc. So please let us know through your sources as to what exactly saudis foiled??
India was trying to get access to Japan's spent nuclear fuel - specifically the plutonium at reprocessing plants like Rokkasho, which, aside from being usable in specialized breeder reactors, are also easily refinable into weapons-grade materials.

The articles do not specifically indicate this action, since it was taken confidentially.

My sources are neither Japanese nor Indian.
 

t_co

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What is interesting is that both the Japanese and Indian sides are trying to spin the inaction as something done out of forbearance and consideration for China's interests, when China is fully aware it was really done because Japan is constrained by Saudi Arabia.
 
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p2prada

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The nuclear deal was canceled most likely due to nuclear testing agreements, not due to China or the Saudis.

We have a unilateral test ban moratorium. The Japanese wanted a bilateral test ban deal. They wanted us to sign an agreement that will prevent all nuclear contracts between the two countries the minute we test a nuclear device. We may not have reached an agreement here.

This is a 2012 article supporting the signature of the bilateral agreement.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...art-talks-with-Japan/articleshow/17726296.cms
"Japan is not insisting that India sign CTBT but it is my reading that if India can commit to a test ban in any bilateral agreement for such a cooperation between the two countries, it will certainly make things easier," a top diplomatic source handling Japan's non-proliferation policy told TOI.
This piece of information kept showing up on TV too, so it seems we did not reach an agreement over this.

This Saudi angle is strange.
 

nrupatunga

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India was trying to get access to Japan's spent nuclear fuel - specifically the plutonium at reprocessing plants like Rokkasho, which, aside from being usable in specialized breeder reactors, are also easily refinable into weapons-grade materials.

The articles do not specifically indicate this action, since it was taken confidentially.

My sources are neither Japanese nor Indian.
As per indian external affairs ministry, talks with japan will continue for a civilian nuclear deal. But leave that aside, why would saudis force japan to maintain "nuclear parity" in south asia. Do you really think, there is a nuclear parity in south asia?? Allegedly pakis may have more number of bombs than india, but as far as technology is concerned am not sure there is == between india and pakistan.

The nuclear deal between japan-india may not have come through for whatever reasons, but saying that its primarily due to saudis insistence is way off the mark unless substantiated. Please elaborate what exactly your sources told about the saudi angle. So what is this nuclear parity that saudis wants in south asia??
 
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Yes, i know that. Vote was given against Iran because of USA pressure while USA confirms that oil requirement will be fulfilled via Saudi aarb and other countries
So there is no clear strategic energy policy by India.
It is a balancing act.
 

anupamsurey

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and I always thought that India has more Leverage on SAUDI than what PAkis have?, the article seems to be full of bogus points.
 

ladder

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Saudi Won't do such things. No point in doing.

1. Nuclear energy is no substitute for oil, at least in near future. Secondly Nuclear power plant forms base power plant and oil fired power plant forms peak power-plant or off the grid power plant, apart from vehicular and industrial requirement.

2. The cost factor (up front) of nuclear power plant will prohibit large scale use. Secondly LNG imports through TAPI and Russia-China-India corridor will have potential to dent Saudi influence and export and not a couple of Nuclear power plant.

3. The %of rise of crude demand in India is set to rise and only the growth may be affected by any of the above reason but not the installed capacity of refineries in India, whose capacity till today is more than the domestic requirement.

4. Saudi and Qatar have agreed to fill strategic oil reserves to be built in India for free under first deniability clause.

5. And as pointed out earlier, Saudi isn't the only oil supplier.

So, in all it's highly unlikely that Saudi will poke it's nose in India-Japan nuke deal as it is least affected.

And about the parity of Nuclear deal in South Asia, The parity was lost with India-USA deal and access to nuclear tech. from couple of other countries.

And about the spent fuel and re-processing right, Japan can demand supervision or can ask it to be shipped back.
 
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With limited access to Central Asia , India has to make the best of the situation.
 

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