India and Japan are moving forward on a deal for Tokyo to provide nuclear plant technology to New Delhi despite widespread worries about safety after the March 11 disaster triggered by a massive tsunami.
Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba told reporters on Saturday that the agreement was reached in a meeting in Tokyo with his Indian counterpart SM Krishna to move forward on the nuclear plant deal. The government has been checking on the safety of nuclear power plants in Japan after the March 11 tsunami destroyed backup generators and sent three reactors at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant into meltdown.
The pact would allow Tokyo to export its cutting-edge nuclear technology to the energy-hungry India, a hotly contested market for atomic plants. But negotiations on the deal have stalled after the March 11 quake and tsunami in northeast Japan triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, the world’s worst since Chernobyl 25 years ago. Japan – the only country to have suffered atomic bombings and a key voice in global de-nuclearisation efforts – has also expressed concerns because nuclear-armed India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Both the foreign ministers also agreed to accelerate a joint development of rare earth mineral deposits in the South Asian country. “The two countries will move ahead with a joint development of rare earth deposits in India,” said Gemba, quoted by Jiji Press, in line with an accord reached last year when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Japan. Japan has looked to diversify rare earth supplies for its high-tech industries — ranging from computer components to hybrid cars — as China, which controls more than 90 percent of global supply, has tightened its export quotas.
Japan should not sign any deal or not offer nuclear plant technology to India which still has not signed Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This Japanese act will definitely disturb power balance in South Asia.
Idiot, where is the balance of power in SOuth Asia ? hahahah and who are you to advice Japan, Maulvi ? hahaha Countries are dying to do business with India and no one even want to talk about you over clever liars and terrorists.
The Fukushima Daiichi disaster, however, is leading many in South Asia to reevaluate the wisdom of pro-nuclear policies, which have also had the effect of increasing strategic tension. Voices are being raised in favor of green energy and alternative power sources.
It should be recognized that in South Asia, as opposed to Japan, there are nuclear weapons in addition to civilian nuclear energy at contention. This contributes to a more dangerous dynamic in which natural disasters and plant mismanagement are not the only areas of grave concern. The threat of terrorism, too, puts additional pressure on peaceful nuclear capabilities.
The Fukushima interlude may be a good opportunity to take stock of these realities and chart a new path for this region that comprises about 1/5 of the human community. With the population density found in most areas of South Asia, a Fukushima-level accident would have much more severe human consequences than is the case in the relatively isolated circumstances of northern Japan. This region, too, is prone to earthquakes and tsunamis.
Before the March 11 disaster began, Japan had placed priority on exporting its technology to other nations, with India being quite high on the list. This initiative was going forward in spite of deep concerns about the potential military uses of the Japanese technology once it was in Indian hands, as well as its effects on the international nuclear nonproliferation regime.
Japan should now abandon the idea of exporting nuclear technology as a quick-fix to earn money for its economy. The awful consequences that can flow from both military as well as civilian applications of nuclear power are now manifesting in the tragedy of the communities surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. This is the time for not only Japan, but also South Asia and the rest of the world, to take heed of the lessons and act in accordance with the best interests of the human future.
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