Question : VISIT OF INDIAN PRIME MINISTER TO JAPAN

(a) whether the Prime Minister has visited Japan recently;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the agreements signed on the occasion;

(c) whether the Prime Minister invited the Japanese business leaders to invest in India;

(d) if so, the response of the businessmen thereto ; and

(e) the benefits likely to be accrued to both countries as a result of these agreements?

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE)

(a)&(b) The Prime Minister paid an official visit to Japan from 13-16 December 2006. The list of agreements is enclosed at Annexure.

(c)- (e) An “India-Japan Special Economic Partnership Initiative” (SEPI) was announced by the two Prime Ministers. This initiative will promote enhancement of investment from Japan to India and help develop India’s infrastructure and manufacturing capacity, taking full advantage of the ample availability of skill and human resources and the public-private partnership policy initiative of the Government of India. A Business Leaders’ Forum to develop a road-map for enhanced partnership and cooperation at the business level is also being established. The response from Japanese Business persons has been positive.

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3201 REGARDING ‘VISIT OF INDIAN PRIME MINISTER TO JAPAN’ FOR ANSWER ON 21.03.2007

1. Memorandum of Cooperation between Japan Coast Guard and Indian Coast Guard
2. Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific Cooperation program between Department of Science and Technology , Government of India and the Japan Science and Technology Agency
3. Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Science and Technology between Department of Science and Technology (DST) , Government of India and RIKEN, Japan
4. Memorandum of Understanding between the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Japan Foundation
5. Memorandum of Understanding between Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Government of Japan for Establishment of the “Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor”
6. Memorandum of Understanding between Ministry of Economy , Trade and Industry, Government of Japan (METI) and Ministry of Commerce and Industry for the establishment of the Japan India Policy Dialogue (JIPD) at the Ministerial level
7. Joint Statement on Promotion of India Japan Tourism Exchanges
8. Joint Ministerial Statement on the launching of Joint Task Force to develop an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)/Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the Republic of India and Japan
9. Cooperation Agreement between the Government of India and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)
10. Memorandum of Understanding on development of Indian Institute of Information for Design and Manufacturing with Japanese Assistance at Jabalpur