India, Japan discuss CTBT

NEW DELHI, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Japan and India agreed Tuesday to strengthen security cooperation during a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

Speaking to reporters in the company of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Japanese leader said: "We have been able to raise the strategic global partnership (between the two countries) to a new level,'' Kyodo News reported.

The security cooperation would include holding regular maritime security dialogues for the safe passage of commercial ships in the Indian Ocean. The agreement firms up the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation signed in October 2008 by Singh and former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.

Hatoyama, who represents a country that seeks universal nuclear disarmament, also said: "I want India, along with the United States and China, to sign (the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) soon,"Kyodo reported.

The Press Trust of India reported when pressed by Japan on the CTBT, India said it wanted the United States and China to take the lead by ratifying the treaty.

Singh was quoted as saying India remained committed to "universal, voluntary and non-discriminatory" disarmament and a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing.

The PTI report said Hatoyama was non-committal on civil nuclear cooperation with India while noting it would be an "important agenda for future".

On other issues, Japan promised to relax restrictions on hi-tech trade and that the two sides agreed to increase two-way trade, PTI reported.