The Hindu : International / India & World : India, Japan to discuss energy security

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Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007
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International - India & World

India, Japan to discuss energy security

P.S. Suryanarayana

High-tech cooperation also high on agenda

SINGAPORE: India and Japan, which recently established "a strategic and global partnership," are expected to turn their focus on energy security and the Japanese idea of creating an "arc of freedom and prosperity" across Asia.

High-tech cooperation is also high on the agenda for the talks between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso in Tokyo on March 22. Mr. Mukherjee will call on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and meet several key Ministers of his Cabinet.

These talks follow last December's wide-ranging summit between Mr. Abe and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Tokyo. Mr. Mukherjee's visit will take place in the evolving context of growing strategic links between the two countries.

India, Japan, and the United States are scheduled to conduct their first-ever trilateral naval exercise off the Japanese coast in mid-April. In the same month, New Delhi and Washington are scheduled to hold their bilateral naval exercise off the Japanese waters for the first time.

Japanese officials said Mr. Aso's advocacy of an Asian "arc of freedom and prosperity" was compatible with India's own ideas about a similar zone of economic progress and prosperity. There was no plan, as of now, for the two foreign ministers to sign a new document to cement the improving bilateral ties. However, they would seek to reinforce political commitment for concluding a "qualitative" economic partnership agreement on the basis of the negotiations that the two Prime Ministers ordered last December. Business-to-business relations between the two sides might also be emphasised for this purpose.

An important aspect of the Japanese checklist would be how best Tokyo and New Delhi could, as the "charter members of the East Asia Summit," promote regional stability. Another possible subject was the "idea" of strategic cooperation among Japan, India, the U.S., and Australia, sources said.

On the Indian side, the priorities span energy dialogue, the special economic partnership initiative that has been designed as a prelude to the proposed comprehensive agreement in this domain, cooperation in the high-tech sector, and defence-related engagement that may include maritime security. Japan has not yet formally indicated its likely stand, as a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, on India's interest in gaining access to high-tech know-how and equipment for the peaceful use of atomic energy.

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