Japan, India Ink Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation Deal

Tokyo and New Delhi signed agreements on peaceful use of nuclear power and on the construction of a 500-kilometer railway linking the western Indian cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) – Japan and India clinched a deal on peaceful use of civil nuclear power, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Saturday.

"A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed. It is a symbol of a new level of mutual trust and strategic partnership," Modi stated at a press briefing in the follow-up to the meeting with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

Until recently, there have been serious doubts that Japan will seal a civil nuclear agreement with India due to the fact New Delhi has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

India and Japan also reached an agreement on the construction of a 500-kilometer (310.68 miles) railway linking the western Indian cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Modi added.

"No less historic is our decision to introduce High Speed Rail on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector through Japan’s Shinkansen, known for its speed, reliability and safety. We greatly appreciate Prime Minister Abe's extraordinary package of approximately $12 billion and technical assistance, on very easy terms, for this project."

The construction is due to start in 2017, with the goal of launching railway operations in 2023.

Abe is currently on a three-day visit to India. He attended an Indo-Japan Business Forum, held talks with Modi, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and President Pranab Mukherjee.