Moscow, March 5
The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), comprising top providers of atomic technology, will discuss the issue of nuclear cooperation with India at a meeting at the end of this month following the Indo-US nuclear deal, a Russian Atomic Energy Agency official said here.The recently signed Indo-US nuclear accord “still remains a declaration” and a lot of diplomatic efforts would be required to fill it with content and lift NSG restrictions allowing the supplies of civilian nuclear technology and fuel to India, according to the Russian official who spoke to news agency ITAR-TASS on conditions of anonymity.
“Russia, which is building two VVER-1000 light water reactors for the Kudankulam nuclear power plant under the deal signed during Soviet era, is not in a position to supply more technology and equipment to India due to current NSG guidelines,” the official was quoted as saying.
He said the issue of nuclear cooperation with India would be discussed at a NSG meeting in Vienna at the end of this month.
In 1992 after Soviet collapse, Russia had joined the elite group of 40-odd nuclear supplier countries, dominated by the US allies, and had gone ahead in finalising the Kudankulam deal just months after Pokharan-II insisting that her accession to NSG did not have retrospective implications.
However, Russia expressed inability to supply more reactors till the lifting of restrictions.
This issue was discussed in detail during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in May and December last year. It is understood that Mr Putin had assured Mr Manmohan Singh that he will talk to the US President and other G-8 partners “key players in NSG to ease restrictions against India.”
NSG members have voluntarily agreed to coordinate their export controls governing transfer of civilian nuclear material and equipment and technology to other countries based on the proliferation risks.
— PTI
