Japan, India sign civil nuclear pact

Japan and India have formally signed a civil nuclear pact in which Tokyo agreed to export civilian nuclear power equipment and technology, as the Japanese nuclear industry seeks markets overseas.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, also agreed during talks Friday to advance business and security cooperation.

The nuclear pact, though limited to peaceful commercial use, is controversial because India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Abe's pro-business government seeks to export nuclear power plants because of shrinking business at home since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Exports of infrastructure, including high-speed railway systems, are part of Abe's growth strategy.

On Saturday, Abe is to escort Modi on a Japanese shinkansen "bullet" train to visit a train factory in Kobe in western Japan.