TOKYO - Japan began the first round of talks with India in Tokyo Monday on exporting nuclear power generation technology made by technology giants such as Toshiba and Hitachi, the foreign ministry said.

The first round of two-day talks are aimed at devising a treaty to allow cooperation between both sides on peaceful use of nuclear power, but no deadline to reach an agreement has been set.

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said last week that Japan would urge India to make further efforts for nuclear non-proliferation.

India, along with Pakistan, faced a backlash in 1998 when they declared themselves nuclear weapons states.

However, New Delhi has since signed nuclear cooperation deals with the United States and other countries.

Canada and India signed a landmark nuclear deal Sunday, ending a quarter of a century of mistrust after India used Canadian technology to build its first nuclear bomb.

Canada is the eighth nation to reach a civil nuclear deal with India since the Nuclear Suppliers` Group, a cartel that trades in nuclear fuel, equipment and technology, lifted a 34-year ban on India in 2008.

India had been denied access for decades to civilian markets for atomic energy due to its nuclear weapons programme and refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which New Delhi says is discriminatory.

Aside from the United States, which spearheaded an international effort to bring back India to the nuclear trading club, New Delhi has atomic deals with such countries as France and Russia.

BDST: 1434 HRS, June 28, 2010
DC