India on Wednesday successfully persuaded the Japanese negotiators to not mention nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in the joint statement in the context of the civilian nuclear cooperation agreement. Both sides agreed to exert further efforts towards conclusion of the agreement. Sources told The Indian Express that the Japanese side was keen to mention its non-proliferation concerns to assuage the anti-nuclear domestic lobbies. But Delhi did not relent as that could have given an opportunity to the Indian anti-nuclear brigade to raise the pitch against the proposed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement. However,the Indian side agreed to include the issue of nuclear safety in the joint statement,at the insistence of the Japanese delegation that also was seen in New Delhis interest in the wake of the nuclear incident in Fukushima. After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met for the annual summit meeting on Wednesday,the joint statement said,The two Prime Ministers welcomed the progress made to date in negotiations between India and Japan on an Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy,and directed their negotiators to exert further efforts towards a conclusion of the agreement,having due regard to each sides relevant interests,including nuclear safety. While the Indian side did not let the non-proliferation creep in to the statement,the joint statement made a couched reference: In this regard,Prime Minister Noda explained Japans position. It did not elaborate further.
