Mumbai, Nov 25: If Japan, a key member of the
Nuclear Suppliers Group, goes for civil nuclear cooperation
with India, it will amount to following "double standard" as
it cannot then talk about North Korea and Iran in global fora,
the head of Japanese Atomic Industrial Forum said on Tuesday.
"Japan is the only country which suffered due to two
atom bombs in the history of mankind and Japanese people are
very sensitive. If Japan goes for civil nuclear cooperation
with India, it amounts to following double standard," said
Takuya Hattori, President of Japan Atomic Industrial Forum,
said on the margin of Nuclear Society's annual conference
here.
"We cannot then talk about North Korea and Iran at the
international platform if we have civil nuclear cooperation
with India now when your country has nuclear bombs," he said.
Hattori suggested India sign Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty to facilitate civil nuclear cooperation with Japan. New
Delhi regards CTBT as discriminatory and says it is of little
relevance since it has announced a voluntary moratorium on
further nuclear test and no-first use of atomic weapons.
"We strongly ask India to keep up commitment with
Nuclear Suppliers Group to pursue nuclear disarmament and also
follow other international treaties like CTBT in order to
continue the peaceful uses of atom in the form of nuclear
energy," Hattori said.
Therefore, unless that is in place, Japanese industries
which have an experience of 40 years in nuclear energy, will
not able to have civil nuclear cooperation with India, he
added.
Hattori said "we have little information about India's
nuclear programme but during the current meeting (Hattori's
first visit), there is a win-win situation and it is meant for
a long-term relationship".
Speaking on "Global Nuclear Renaissance and Role of
Japan", Hattori said Japan runs 55 nuclear plants built in
the last 40 years in an uninterrupted manner strictly
following the philosophy of safety, security and
non-proliferation safeguards.
"We are planning to build 23 to 54 units more by 2050 and
this is purely taking into consideration of environment and
reduce the carbon dioxide emission, he said.
Asked how he looked at the Indian industries in the
wake of opening India's doors to international civil nuclear
cooperation, he said "it is not going to be easy. There is a
need for tremendous manpower resources well-trained to keep up
high standards of non-proliferation safeguards, safety and
security.
India has to expand its training programme to increase
its huge manpower needs urgently, he said.
He also said Japan was keenly waiting to work with
India in this field but it may not be in the near future as
India has to commit itself to disarmament.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 00:00