Tokyo, Oct. 22: The bad news here today, as expected, was the lack of any movement on the crucial issue of civil nuclear energy co-operation in which Japan is a leader.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso was frank enough to state that when Manmohan Singh had raised the issue with him today, “I said it is important that India lives up to its commitments and actions, including continuing its moratorium on testing. As for a Japan-India nuclear co-operation agreement, we have to take into account various factors”.

This carried the hint that Japanese corporates such as Toshiba and Hitachi might not be able to enter India’s nuclear energy market, pending an enabling agreement between the two governments.

On his part, Singh expressed gratitude to Japan for its support to India at the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group. “But I do recognise the sensitivity of this issue in Japan” and had, therefore, told the Japanese premier “that we will move at a pace at which the Japanese government and people are comfortable with”, Singh said.