Japan has recently made a breakthrough in frozen seabed gas hydrates and its exploitation in which India has shown great interest. India and Japan has already launched a joint study on LNG pricing.

Dr Singh is likely to discuss the issue of safety of nuclear power plant. Japan Steel Works produces reactor vessels of specialized technology, according to sources in the Indian External Affairs Ministry.

Japan is slated to organize a major exhibition of energy efficient and green technologies in Delhi later this year.

The Annual India-Japan Strategic and Global Partnership Summit meeting will be co-chaired by Dr Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on May 29. This annual Summit meeting was scheduled to be held towards the end of last year but was postponed due to certain political developments in Japan.

The two prime ministers are slated to review ongoing Japanese projects in India like Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and upgradation process in the Chennai-Bengaluru Corridor. Japan has already announced $4.5 billion grant for at least 10 specific projects. India will seek assistance for development of Ennore port.

Dr Singh is also slated to discuss with Abe the possibility of institutionalizing regular joint naval exercises by the two countries. The first ever bilateral naval exercises between India and Japan took place off the coast of Japan in June 2012. This year there has been a series of exchanges between armed forces of the two countries. Japan is the only country with whom India have institutionalized 2+2 talks with Defence Secretary Foreign Secretary from India and their Japanese counterparts. There is also a regular dialogue process between the defence ministers of the two countries and strategic dialogue between the foreign ministers of both countries.

Both the prime ministers are likely to discuss prospects of joint cooperation in development of Afghanistan post-NATO forces withdrawal in 2014. There is a proposal for India-Japan-US joint collaboration for development of Afghanistan. Dr Singh and Abe will also discuss the status of Senkaku Island and developments in the Korean peninsula. A senior official in the Indian External Affairs Ministry had a dialogue in North Korea.

The Indian Prime Minister will be in Japan from May 27 from where he will go to Thailand on May 30 for a two-day visit. The Prime Minister’s delegation will include National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon.

Prime Minister Dr Singh will address a business meeting hosted by Kaidanren, the premier chamber of commerce and industry of Japan in the afternoon of May 28.
India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is under implementation since August 2011. In 2011-12, bilateral trade between the two countries grew by 29% to reach a figure of 18.5 billion. It came down to 17.5 billion in 2012-13.

India-Japan bilateral trade is, however, not balanced. It is very substantially in Japan’s favour. Dr Singh is likely to take up issues relating to market access for some of those sectors where India has competitive advantage. He is also likely to emphasize existence of certain non-tariff barriers which have kept off shrimp exports from India. Some traditional exports of India to Japan which have tapered off in the last few years, for example iron ore. So, there is a range of measures which need to be addressed.

Dr Singh will address a gathering jointly organised by the Japan-India Association, Japan-India Parliamentary Friendship League, and the Friendship Exchange Council in the evening of May 28. The Japanese Prime Minister and his wife will host a private dinner for the Indian Prime Minister and his wife also in the evening of May 28.

There will also be calls on Indian Prime Minister by senior Ministers in the Abe Cabinet as well as leaders of the main political parties. The Indian Prime Minister and his wife will call on the Emperor and Empress of Japan, who will host a luncheon for them on May 29. And then the annual summit between the two Prime Ministers will take place in the evening of May 29. Dr Singh will leave Tokyo for a two-day visit to Thailand on May 30.