Your Excellency Prime Minister Kan,
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media.
I wish to begin by thanking Prime
Minister Kan and the Government and people
of Japan for the warm welcome
extended to me and members of my delegation. It is always a pleasure to be back in
this beautiful city.
The tradition of regular high level
dialogue is the hallmark of the India-Japan Strategic and Global Partnership.
Our annual Summits have set the pace and direction of this partnership, which rests on the firm foundation of shared
values of democracy, rule of law and respect for fundamental human freedoms.
Our two Governments have concluded
negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. This is a historic achievement that
signals the economic alignment of two of the largest economies in Asia .
It will open up new business opportunities and lead to a quantum increase in
trade and investment flows between our two countries.
I suggested to Prime
Minister Kan that we redouble our efforts
in progressing major infrastructure projects in India such as the
Dedicated Freight Corridor project and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor
project. Both these are
proceeding on schedule and will have a transformational impact on our two
economies.
I conveyed to the Prime Minister our
gratitude to the Government and people of Japan for the Official Development
Assistance to India .
We discussed ways to expand High
Technology Trade between India and Japan .
I hope that Japan will make its export
control regulations for such trade easier and predictable. We appreciate the Japanese
government’s decision to cooperate with India on civil nuclear
energy.
I also conveyed our satisfaction with
the High-Level Energy Dialogue between our countries through which we are
partnering in the development and utilization of new and renewable energy
sources.
We reviewed the implementation of the
Action Plan on Security Cooperation signed last December. Our Defence Ministers
have agreed to meet annually. Prime
Minister Kan and I discussed the
possibility of further deepening our strategic partnership.
The year 2012 will mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between India and Japan . We discussed ways to celebrate the
occasion in a befitting manner including through expanded people-to-people
exchanges, especially amongst our youth.
We have agreed to enhance our
cooperation, both bilaterally and within the G-4, in the reform of the United
Nations, and especially of the Security Council. We will continue to work together on
global issues such as climate change, the Doha round of trade
negotiations and the G-20.
We will continue to work closely
within the framework of the East Asia Summit and the region as a whole.
I have invited Prime
Minister Kan to visit India next year for our
Annual Summit. I look
forward to welcoming him in Delhi .
Thank you.
*******
HS/SH/LV
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