Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Thursday urged India to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) soon and resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue. Addressing a meeting organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Mr Mori said he has also urged General Parvez Musharraf to take steps soon to control terrorism and restore democracy in Pakistan. Stating that joint efforts should be made to address issues like terrorism and prevention of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Mr Mori said Japan and India have a common goal of creating a nuclear free world. Lauding Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's efforts in countering terrorism in Kashmir, he said, ''we must not abandon the efforts to resolve problems of any kind through dialogue. We can attain understanding by another party and overcome conflict through dialogue.'' He also expressed the hope that direct dialogue between India and Pakistan would help ease the tensions in South Asia. ''However, the fighting that broke out in Kargil betrayed Mr Vajpayee's good intentions, and we also deeply regret it. A few days ago, I had emphasised to Gen Pervez Musharraf the need to take steps for an early return to democracy, to control terrorism and to create an environment conducive to the resumption of dialogue with India.'' Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Thursday also proposed a three-pronged stragety to boost bilateral relations between India and Japan in Information Technology sector including training of IT professionals in Japanese language, holding an Indo-Japanese summit and organising frequent symposiums. Mori has already expressed his country’s plan to launch expansive measures on the issuance of multiple entry visas.
Bureau Report