Japan may suspend nuclear cooperation talks with India

The Japanese government has decided to suspend negotiations with India and four other countries on civil nuclear cooperation following Prime Minister Naoto Kan's call for Japan's eventual exit from atomic power, according to a media report.

Any move to proceed with the talks now "could risk contradicting the Prime Minister's policy," an unnamed government source was quoted as saying by 'Kyodo' news agency.

The report said the government will suspend talks with India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on the sale of Japanese-made nuclear power equipment and technology. The decision concerns negotiations over completing separate nuclear power cooperation agreements with these countries.

Negotiations with all five countries have been stalled since the killer earthquake and tsunami in March triggered the nuclear crisis in Japan's Fukushima Prefecture.

The source also indicated the government will not schedule any high-level talks with the five prospective nations on completing nuclear cooperation accords without getting Kan's nod, the report said.

Ministries involved in forging the accord, including the Industry Ministry and the Foreign Ministry, will hold off to also see if and when Kan resigns.

Kan has expressed his intention to step down if three conditions are met during the current Diet (Parliament) session that concludes at the end of August, including the passage of a bill aimed at promoting the use of renewable energy sources.