India moves ahead on nuclear safeguards deal

INDIA: India and the UN atomic agency have moved forward on implementing an agreement on subjecting the country’s civilian nuclear sites to international controls for the first time, officials said Thursday.

The draft safeguards agreement is one of several conditions India must fulfil before it can enter a controversial pact on atomic technology sharing with the United States.

It involves India separating its civil and military programmes, and is subject to approval by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) international board.

Nuclear-armed India refuses to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) the cornerstone of international nuclear controls because it says it would endanger its strategic defence programme.

The draft agreement is essentially a way of placing India under some IAEA controls and enabling it to shop for nuclear technology on the international market.

“At the request of the government of India, the IAEA secretariat circulated to members of the IAEA board of governors for their consideration the draft of an agreement with the government of India for the application of safeguards to civilian nuclear facilities,” IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said.

“The chairman of the board is consulting with board members to agree on a date for a board meeting when the agreement would be considered,” she said in a statement posted on the UN body’s website.

The Indian government’s effort to enter international atomic energy commerce including the right to shop for fuel and other sensitive technology has caused a serious rift in the coalition government.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says the deal is essential for fuel-hungry India’s energy security.

But a four-party left-wing bloc formally withdrew support for Singh’s government on Wednesday, saying the nuclear deal with the United States compromised India’s independence and its strategic capabilities.

New Delhi, Thursday, AFP