Story highlights Deal marks historic step to build clean energy partnership

The US signed a similar deal with India in 2005

(CNN) India and Japan signed a landmark civil nuclear energy agreement in Tokyo on Friday that was six years in the making.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe inked the deal during the annual India-Japan Bilateral Summit in Tokyo.

The deal -- which was firmed up during the 2015 visit of Abe to India -- will allow Japan to export nuclear power equipment and technology to India.

"Today's signing of the agreement for cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy marks a historic step in our engagement to build a clean energy partnership," Modi said in a joint press conference after the accord was signed. "Our cooperation in this field will help us combat the challenge of climate change. I also acknowledge the special significance that such an agreement has for Japan."

W/o doubt,our destinies are interlinked. Let us work together fr peace,prosperity & development.PM's banquet speechhttps://t.co/LfX6mO17Fv pic.twitter.com/Flb6wIX0t8 — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) November 11, 2016

Vikas Swarup, India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, tweeted that it was a landmark deal for a cleaner, greener world. "Without doubt, our destinies are interlinked," he said.

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