India, Japan discuss threats posed by N Korean nukes

NEW DELHI: Affirming to step up bilateral strategic interaction, India and Japan on Sunday held extensive talks on threats posed by nuclear weapons in North Korea and its clandestine weapons nexus with Pakistan.
Japan also agreed to step up Official Development Aid (ODA) to India to bring it at par with the pre-Pokhran II (1998) sanctions level of two billion US dollars within two years.
This emerged after talks between visiting Japanese Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his Indian counterpart George Fernandes. The two leaders had a one-to-one meeting, which was followed by delegation level talks.
According to Japanese sources, Ishiba briefed Fernandes on the nuclear threat posed by North Korea while Fernandes apprised him of the increasing evidence of Pakistan-North Korean Nuclear and Missile nexus, the continued cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and the threat it posed in the region.