Japan wants India to sign CTBT, PM puts onus on US, China

NEW DELHI: Pressed by Japan to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), India on Tuesday clearly put the onus on the US and China for taking a lead in this direction by ratifying it.

Japan, however, promised to relax restrictions on hi-tech trade as the two countries sought to impart greater depth to their ties by unveiling an action plan covering defence and counter-terrorism exchanges and vowing to step up two-way trade.

After his wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama remained non-committal on civil nuclear cooperation with India although he observed that it would be an "important agenda for future".

At a joint press conference with Singh after the talks, Hatoyama said the two countries have "differences" over the issue of CTBT and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Noting that he had discussed the issue with Singh, he said, "I expressed the hope that along with the US and China, India will sign and ratify the (CTBT) treaty.

Hatoyama said, "In response, Prime Minister Singh said should the US and China ratify the CTBT, a new situation will emerge. I believe he has stated it as a matter of fact. We firmly have to engage in these endeavours."

Singh said India was committed to "universal, voluntary and non-discriminatory" disarmament and voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing.