New Delhi, June 12
Even as certain members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group have evinced keenness in supplying fuel for nuclear reactors, India and the USA began talks here today on the operational modalities of the agreement on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy based on the drafts exchanged between the two last month.
One of the sticky aspects pertains to the USA pushing for a cap on future nuclear tests by India in what is being called the 123 pact while the UPA government is firm that there is already a moratorium in place. Considering the country’s track record, New Delhi believes that the cap on undertaking
nuclear tests should be voluntary.
Such an approach by India is not new as it has consistently held that the NPT is highly discriminatory.
Sources contended that “we have made it clear that we already have a unilateral moratorium on nuclear tests. There is no need to make it legally binding by inserting a clause into the proposed peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement.”
Though the drafts were exchanged last month when Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran met US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns in
London, this was outside the ambit of discussions.
India does not visualise any major hurdles in the
negotiations over the safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) later this month depending on the US passing the enabling legislation.
Considering the burgeoning needs of energy to keep up the pace of economic development coupled with nuclear generation, the issue of assured supply of fuel for the nuclear plants appears to
have been overcome, subject to India agreeing to permanent
safeguards for its civilian facilities as distinct from the strategic ones, which have since been delineated.The discussions spread over three days on the peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement will necessarily dwell on the concerns of the American Congress, pertaining to the Indo-US agreement on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The US Council on Foreign Relations has underlined the need for patience for addressing major non-proliferation concerns in strengthening the Indo-US strategic partnership.
The Indian side at the talks is headed by Joint Secretary (Americas) S Jaishankar and includes officials from the Atomic Energy Department. The US delegation comprises officials from the Department of Energy, State Department and their agencies.
India and the USA had pledged to cooperate in civilian nuclear energy in a joint statement after a meeting in Washington in July last year between US President George Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The US Congress also needs to approve an amendment to its nuclear legislation, which prohibits nuclear trade with any country that is not a signatory to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty.
