U.S. and India completes nuclear deal

Swissinfo ^ | July 27 2007 | Carol Giacomo and Y.P. Rajes

[knighthawk]

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The United States and India said on Friday they have completed negotiations on a nuclear cooperation deal that would offer enormous benefits for both sides.

But neither country gave details of the long-delayed, controversial accord and acknowledged critical steps must be taken before it can be implemented.

The pact, approved by India's cabinet on Wednesday, would allow India access to U.S. nuclear fuel and equipment for the first time in 30 years, even though New Delhi refused to join non-proliferation pacts and tested nuclear weapons.

"The conclusion of negotiations on this agreement marks a major step forward in fulfilling the promise of full civil nuclear cooperation as envisioned by President (George W.) Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," said the statement, issued by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Indian Foreign Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee.

"Civil nuclear cooperation between the United States and India will offer enormous strategic and economic benefits to both countries, including enhanced energy security, a more environmentally friendly energy source, greater economic opportunities, and more robust nonproliferation efforts," they said.

But before cooperation can begin, India must negotiate an inspection regime for its nuclear facilities with the International Atomic Energy Agency and win approval from the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group.

Also, the U.S. Congress must approve it. Many lawmakers and nonproliferation experts are concerned about what they believe are U.S. concessions to the Indian nuclear establishment.

In addition, the Bush administration's willingness to allow India to reprocess U.S. origin nuclear fuel as part of the deal raises a question of inconsistency in its dealings with Iran.

Unlike India, Iran is a member of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, yet the United States has led an international effort to force Tehran to abandon its enrichment program.

Indian National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan said the pact contained no reference to "testing and non-testing" of nuclear weapons by India -- an issue that has been among the top concerns of the U.S. Congress.

"We have not mortgaged any right, if anything we have enhanced our rights," Narayanan said in New Delhi.

According to congressional sources and experts, the United States agreed to give India advance, long-term permission to reprocess U.S. origin nuclear material once New Delhi builds a new reprocessing facility that would only use such material.

This is being done despite the fact that Bush in a major speech in February 2004 stated that "enrichment and reprocessing are not necessary for nations seeking to harness nuclear energy for peaceful purposes."

Previously, the United States has only granted such consent rights to Japan and the European Union, key allies.

Also, the United States has agreed to help ensure continued delivery of nuclear fuel to India even if Washington halts cooperation, as required by law, if New Delhi tests another nuclear weapon -- something Indian and U.S. officials say is very likely.

"This agreement has a finalized text which meets the concerns of both sides and serves the interest of both sides," Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon said. "There are no conditionalities."

Indian officials said they were happy with guarantees that India would have uninterrupted supplies of nuclear fuel.

Menon said: "We think that the fuel supply assurances that we have got ... those stand and these will be carried out in practice."

Reuters (IDS)

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