January 11, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 20, 1427

TOKYO, Jan 10: Japan will continue to urge India to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a non-atomic weapons state, the government's top spokesman said on Wednesday, denying a change in policy.

“Naturally, we will continue to call on India to join the NPT as a non-nuclear weapons state,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki.

“There is no change to our position that we ask India to join the NPT and take part in the major trend of nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear arms reduction,” he told a regular press briefing.

Mr Shiozaki was responding to a report in the Yomiuri Shimbun that Japan will effectively recognise India as a nuclear power even though New Delhi has not signed the NPT, which aims to stop the spread of atomic arms.

Tokyo will announce its support for a landmark deal between the United States and India offering access to US civilian nuclear technology, the paper said, citing unnamed government sources.

Japanese firms will be able to participate in the construction of nuclear power stations in India, Japan's top-selling daily added.

Shiozaki denied any decision had been made on whether to support the civilian nuclear deal with India that was signed by US President George Bush last month.

“We will make the position of our country by closely examining the content of the US-India agreement,” he said.

India in 1998 declared itself a nuclear weapons power and has refused to sign the NPT, which acknowledges only five nations -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- as nuclear-weapon states.

Last month, Tokyo agreed to start talks with India on a free-trade pact but declined to extend support to the nuclear deal between India and the United States.

The US-India deal stipulates that India must put its civilian-use atomic reactors under the International Atomic Energy Agency's scanner.

Washington insists that it has not recognised India as a nuclear weapons power.

Japan snapped off aid to India and Pakistan after the two countries conducted nuclear tests. But Japan has since warmed to India as it continues its rise as a regional economic power. —AFP