Manmohan Singh to seek nuclear deal, investments during Japan visit

New Delhi, May 27 –  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is on a two-nation five-day visit to Japan and Thailand aiming to give a "new meaning" to India's 'Look East' policy and hoping it will contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific.

 

National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Pulok Chatterjee, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, and other senior officials are accompanying Singh.

 

Singh, who flew to Tokyo, his first halt, described Japan as a "key regional and global partner for India"

 

In his departure statement, Singh said he proposed to invigorate India's relations with Japan in the political, security and energy spheres.

 

"My visits to Japan and Thailand will add depth and new meaning to our 'Look East' policy and contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific," he said.

 

On a three-day visit to Tokyo, Singh will make a strong pitch for elevating strategic ties and push for a bilateral pact on civil nuclear energy cooperation.

 

Singh will hold exhaustive talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Wednesday on the entire gamut of bilateral ties with special focus on giving boost to cooperation in defence, economic, energy and other areas.

 

 

"It will be my effort to use this visit to strengthen our strategic and global partnership, which also includes trying to reach an agreement with regard to civil nuclear energy cooperation," Singh said.

 

 

The visit will also allow the two governments to take stock of the progress in flagship projects like the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, and to facilitate bilateral engagement for meaningful and mutually beneficial association. Singh said he hopes to exchange views with Prime Minister Abe on important regional and global developments of shared interest.

 

PTI