External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday advised the United States to leave the issue of Iran's nuclear programme to the International Atomic Energy Agency and not take up the responsibility of deciding Iran's position."Iran should convince the IAEA that their nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. We are advising Iran that being a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, you should satisfy the IAEA."
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Saturday defended India's decision to vote against Iran on the International Atomic Energy Agency resolution, claiming that it had been taken keeping in mind the fact that the Islamic nation was a signatory of the NPT. He was responding to a question on whether India had toed America's line over Iran's nuclear programme.
K Subrahamanyam felt India's right to conduct nuclear tests was not curbed under the agreement.
Ahead of her talks with the Indian leadership, a leading American newspaper has said United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should urge India to drop its opposition to the Non Proliferation Treaty and consider opening regional arms talks with Pakistan and China.
Australian Opposition parties have been quick in taking a tough stand against Prime Minister John Howard for his 'recklessness.'
"Following the Hyde Act, Bush is differentiating provisions of the deal as advisory and mandatory in nature. This was not initially mentioned in the joint statement and now he has put India in ambiguity," he said.
Washington believed that India will not join Non Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state.
Ruling out the sale of uranium to India until it signs the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Australia on Monday announced the setting up of a global body for nuclear disarmament, hoping to rope in 'like minded' countries.Rudd said he understood the Indian arguments, and said the United States administration had also put India's case to him, but the Labour party was firmly behind the NPT.India would not be able to circumvent the NPT by joining the commission.
Director General of World Nuclear Association John Ritch welcomed the initiatives designed to end India's isolation.
The Netherlands, a key member of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group, has said that the export of nuclear goods for peaceful purposes to India was in conformity with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The country has also expressed its readiness to consider any proposal in this regard. However, Netherlands said that it was awaiting the finalisation of the agreement between India and the IAEA and it will formulate its final position after careful analysis of the pact.
According to a US State Department factsheet, 'Washington has no specific plans to develop low yield nuclear weapons but the Nuclear Posture Review highlighted the importance of being able to respond to changes in the security environment'.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Friday said the "strict safeguards" India has to follow to obtain uranium supplies from Sydney will have the same effect of that country signing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Australia has decided to sell uranium to India on the condition that its inspectors be allowed to check on site that the yellowcake is used only for peaceful purposes.
The government on Monday asserted that India was not worried by the decision of G-8 nations to curb the transfer of some sensitive nuclear technology to nations which have not signed the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty. The statement from Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee came after Left parties and the Bharatiya Janata Party were seen on the same side in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, demanding a discussion on the key issue.
He hoped that relations between the two countries will not be adversely affected if the Indo-US civil nuclear deal does not go through the American Congressional processes.
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China on Tuesday angrily denounced the nuclear-powered submarine deal announced by the US, UK and Australia, saying the pact violates the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the three countries are travelling "further down the dangerous and wrong path."
Norway on Thursday offered its expertise and cooperation to help India meet its energy needs even as its Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said
by External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lvavrov met at the Chinese mission in New York.
It is a theoretical proposition in the future, contingent on dismantling having taken place, realigning up to the NPT and having IAEA safeguards in place
North Korea on Thursday said it is dropping out of six-party nuclear talks and will "bolster its nuclear weapons arsenal."
Pakistan plans to generate 8,800 mw from nuclear sources by 2030, the study says, adding the government has already formulated an energy security plan in this regard.
'Declaring Pakistan a non-NATO ally has no link with military operations in Pakistan. We give that status to countries that have special relations with us,'says US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
The US Senate is expected to decide this week to dump such a policy and pursue a new nuclear cooperation deal with India.
"India is supposed to get only uranium for its nuclear programme to expand. Simply for this, so much compromising... is uncalled for," he said.
During his recent visit to India, Australian Prime Minister John Howard had hinted at a softening of Canberra's stand as the two countries decided to set up a group of officials to study the Indo-US Civil nuclear deal.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said that the Indian sub-continent offers a "stark contrast" in terms of progress, prosperity and development models.
During the talks, India once again asserted to the Chinese side that its implementation of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty principles was "second to none".
India on Thursday hit back at China for its statement that Nuclear Suppliers Group membership can't be a "farewell gift", saying it was not seeking the membership to the 48-nation grouping as gift but instead based on its non-proliferation record.
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