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India
wins N-trust vote at IAEA, two hurdles ahead
WSN Bureau
 New Delhi: India on Friday took a big stride forward to take its
place at the nuclear high table. The India-specific safeguards
agreement sailed through the meeting of the IAEA’s 35-member board
of governors in Vienna. With this, India is closer to securing
nuclear fuel for its reactors and dismantling the technology denial
regime against it. Two more speed-breakers remain for India to join
the nuclear mainstream.
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US Teaches Nuclear Semantics:
Clean, not unconditional
NEW DELHI: The US has asked India not to talk
about "unconditional" waiver from Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
as it was "provocative" ahead of the meeting of the 45-nation
grouping.
In a telephonic press conference from the US, US Ambassador to
India David Mulford said usage of the term "unconditional" was
"over simplification" of issues considering that the issue
related to the NSG.
He noted that the US was seeking "clean exemption" from the NSG
and was not using the word "unconditional" because there are
"many moving parts" in the process, including the Separation
Plan, 123 agreement and India-IAEA Safeguards Agreement.
"It is somewhat a provocative word to be used," Mulford said
while specifying that it was his "personal view" as it could
create difficulties in the process. |
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The IAEA’s green signal has cleared the way
for India to secure the Nuclear Suppliers Group’s (NSG) approval to
engage in full-scale nuclear commerce. The NSG is expected to meet
on August 21. After the NSG also clears the deal, the US Congress
will put it to vote. Once through there, the Indo-US nuclear deal
will be sealed—hopefully, by the end of September.
India is now pressing for a "clean" and "unconditonal"
waiver from the NSG to take the Indo-US nuclear deal forward, and
said it does not expect any new conditions since that would nullify
the safeguards pact cleared by the IAEA.
New Delhi also said its export control
requirements has already been harmonised in tune with the guidelines
of the the 45-nation Nuclear Safeguards Group (NSG) whose clearance
will help the country resume nuclear commerce ending the over three
decade nuclear isolation.
NSG guidelines require comprehensive safeguards
(applicable only to NPT countries) which India says are relevant in
its case.
6 August, 2008
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