Indo-Japan talks: EPA, industrial corridor key

India and Japan are expected to move ahead on signing a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, besides finalising a partnership on the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor during the three-day visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe beginning Tuesday.

"Japanese Prime Minister has high expectations towards the India-Japan EPA, and will have frank discussions with his Indian counterpart to proceed forward and implement the strategic partnership," a senior Japanese government official told reporters in New Delhi. Besides the EPA, which is a version of free trade agreement, progress on the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and the freight corridor would also be reviewed during the visit, he said. The 90-billion-dollar industrial belt is being built with Japanese assistance and work on the project is slated to begin early next year.

Referring to some differences over EPA, he said: "Such issues can be overcome if we engage in a sincere manner." The strategic partnership was agreed upon when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Japan last year, the official said.

Since then, three rounds of negotiations have taken place and during this visit leaders from the two sides would deliberate upon how to move forward on the agreement for greater economic interchange and cooperation, he said.

The Japanese PM would be accompanied by more than 200 business executives, he added.