Washington, July 19.(PTI):
In the wake of the breakthrough achieved over the
highly contentious issue of US cooperation in nuclear
energy, India can now hope to acquire nuclear power
reactors and fuel from the international market to
meet its ever growing energy needs.
New Delhi is said to be
keen to purchase at least six nuclear power reactors
but was unable to do so in the face of sanctions and
restrictions imposed by Washington following the 1974
Pokharan nuclear test.
These restrictions were
also implemented by the Nuclear Suppliers Group which
includes Russia.
Under the agreement
arrived during talks between Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and President George W Bush here on Monday, US
had agreed to recognise India as a nuclear weapon
state and supply fuel for Tarapore reactors.
Following are the
highlights of the agreement on civilian nuclear energy
cooperation under which US has agreed
US has agreed to achieve full civil nuclear energy
cooperation with India as it realizes its goals of
promoting nuclear power and achieving energy security.
It would also seek agreement from Congress to
adjust US laws and policies, and will work with
friends and allies to adjust international regimes to
enable full civil nuclear energy cooperation and trade
with India, including but not limited to expeditious
consideration of fuel supplies for safeguarded nuclear
reactors at Tarapur.
It will encourage its partners to also consider
this request expeditiously.
India has expressed its interest in ITER and a
willingness to contribute. The US will consult with
its partners considering India's participation. The US
will consult with the other participants in the
Generation IV International Forum with a view toward
India's inclusion.
For its part, India would reciprocally agree that
it would be ready to assume the same responsibilities,
practices and acquire the same benefits and advantages
as other leading countries with advanced nuclear
technology, such as the US. These responsibilities and
practices consist of identifying and separating
civilian and military nuclear facilities and
programmes in a phased manner and filing a declaration
regarding its civilian facilities with the IAEA;
taking a decision to place voluntarily its civilian
nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards; signing and
adhering to an Additional Protocol with respect to
civilian nuclear facilities; continuing India's
unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing; working with
US for the conclusion of a multilateral Fissile
Material Cut-Off Treaty; refraining from transfer of
enrichment and reprocessing technologies to states
that do not have them and supporting international
efforts to limit their spread; and ensuring the
necessary steps have been taken to secure nuclear
materials and technology through comprehensive export
control legislation and through harmonization and
adherence to Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)
and Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) guidelines.
India and US agreed to establish a working group
to undertake on a phased basis in the months ahead the
necessary actions mentioned above to fulfill these
commitments.
The President and the Prime Minister also agreed
that they would review this progress when Bush visits
India in 2006.
Commitments not too
onerous: India
India is highly satisfied
with the US decision to lift sanctions imposed on it
31 years ago in the wake of Pokhran nuclear tests, and
asserted that commitments given in return were not
"too onerous".
Recognition of India as a
"responsible state with advanced nuclear technology"
by President George Bush and his decision to supply
fuel for nuclear reactors at Tarapur as outlined in
the joint statement issued after his talks with Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh here on Monday is seen by the
Indian side as an implicit acceptance of New Delhi's
nuclear weapons status.
"What has been achieved is
recognition by the US that, for all practical
purposes, India should have the same benefits and
rights as a nuclear weapons state." Foreign Secretary
Shyam Saran said at a media briefing on the outcome of
Singh-Bush discussions on Monday.
The reciprocal obligations
undertaken by India such as separating its civilian
and military nuclear facilities and voluntarily
placing the former under safeguards of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were "no
more or no less" than those committed to by any other
nuclear weapons state, he said.
