(a) whether the Prime Minister has recently postponed/called off his official visit
to Japan and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(b) the current status of bilateral relations with Japan including the details of the
agreements signed during the last three years;
(c) whether the Government has sought assistance of Japan in the field of nuclear
energy; and
(d) if so, the response of Japan in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRIMATI PRENEET KAUR)
(a) Prime Minister was scheduled to undertake an official visit to Japan from 15-18
November 2012 at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Japan. Keeping in view that the
dissolution of the Japanese Lower House of Parliament would be announced on 16 November
2012, the visit of Prime Minister to Japan was postponed.
(b) India and Japan established a Strategic and Global Partnership in 2006. A mechanism
of Annual Summits between Prime Ministers of the two countries has been in place since then.
The External Affairs Minister and his Japanese counterpart also meet annually for a Strategic
Dialogue and a Ministerial level Economic Dialogue. Japan has assisted in several unique
projects in India like the Delhi Metro, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and the
Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. The India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
was signed in February 2011 and came into effect on 1 August 2011. The Agreement between
India and Japan on Social Security and a Memorandum on Cooperation in the Rare Earths
Industry in India were signed in November 2012. The 2008 Joint Declaration on Security
Cooperation and the 2009 Action Plan to Advance Security Cooperation provide the framework
for bilateral security cooperation. India and Japan have a number of areas of functional
cooperation, including science and technology, energy and people-to-people exchanges, and
share wide-ranging interests in regional and global issues.
(c) & (d) The Government of Japan announced its decision to commence negotiations
with the Government of India on an Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear
Energy on 25 June 2010. Three rounds of formal negotiations have been held.