India
and Japan today signed a number of pacts in key areas of transportation,
defence and nuclear energy. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is on a
three-day visit to India. In a joint statement issued at the end of annual
delegation-level talks, India and Japan reiterated their unwavering commitment
to realise a peaceful, open, equitable, stable and rule-based order in the
Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
Key Points:
India’s
first bullet train network will come up between Mumbai and Ahmedabad at a cost
of Rs 98,000 crore.
The
high-speed rail network will be built on the Shikansen model known for its
reliability and safety.
Tokyo
will provide India with a $12 billion package of financing and assistance for
the train, including a low-cost, long-term loan.
‘Visa
on arrival’ will be extended to all Japanese citizens from March 1, 2016.
The
two sides also signed agreements – one concerning the Transfer of Defence
Equipment and Technology and another related to Security Measures for
Protection of Classified Military Information.
Japan
will also be made a partner in the Malabar Exercise, a naval drill conducted
annually by the United States and India, to help counter "maritime
challenges" in the region.
