Japan mulls support for Indo-US N-deal

A newspaper reported that Japan, the only nation to have been attacked with nuclear weapons, would relay its potentially influential approval of the agreement during a summit with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

But an official said Japan had not yet decided.

"The Japanese government has continued studying the possibility of supporting the deal between the United States and India, as we are aware of the strategic importance of India," said a foreign ministry official who handles disarmament issues.

"But whether to support the deal ultimately depends on developments in US politics and talks between India and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," he said on condition of anonymity.

Japan's support is considered crucial to allowing India into the Nuclear Suppliers Group that controls the export of nuclear materials to prevent weapons proliferation.