Ahead of the crucial Itentaional Atomic Energy Agency meeting on Friday, a group of arms control experts has urged both the atomic watchdog and Nuclear Suppliers Group to look at the Indo-US nuclear deal 'very carefully and remove all ambiguities'.
In a missive to Dr Singh dated September 23 on the day of the prime minister's arrival in New York, and made available to rediff.com, Obama said at the outset, "I am very pleased that your visit provides us with the opportunity to strengthen the US-India relationship."
India has said the stalled agreement for four more Russian nuclear reactors in Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu was not a setback.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will leave for Tokyo for the G8 Summit at 8 am on Monday. Dr Singh will met US President George Bush on July 9.
On the eve of the Nuclear Suppliers Group's extraordinary plenary meeting to decide on nuclear commerce with India, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon will brief the current chair Germany and two other key members of the 45-nation NSG.
Although New Delhi may have expressed satisfaction with its inoffensively packaged wording, the draft proposal carries serious implications for India. The draft is likely to attract even more India-specific conditions when it is taken up for consideration by the NSG, given the cartel's consensual decision-making process
The United States and the European Union on Friday led the international community in promptly welcoming the International Atomic Energy Agency's approval of India-specific safeguards agreement, saying it will boost non-proliferation efforts and hoped that the Nuclear Suppliers' Group will too give a waiver to New Delhi for nuclear commerce.
Following is the reaction of parties on the India-specific safeguards agreement being approved by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The telephonic conversation between Dr Singh and Medvedev was 'in development of constructive (ties), aimed at practical results talks held on the margins of the recent G-8 summit in Toyako (Japan) and they discussed a wide range of issues, including the preparations for the upcoming Delhi visit of the Russian President', according to the Kremlin.
Lobbying for the Indo-US nuclear deal, India on Friday briefed the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors and some Nuclear Suppliers Group countries on the safeguards agreement amid reports that there was no sign of opposition to the accord.
There may be some changes in the text of the nuclear commerce waiver for India, which is being considered by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, according to United States Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher. Boucher asserted that the US would "not allow anything to impede the N-deal."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left here for home on Tuesday night at the end of his nine-day visit to the US and France, during which the landmark nuclear cooperation agreement was signed with the latter.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting with United States President George W Bush later in September could be an opportunity to sign the 123 Agreement, US Ambassador David Mulford has said.Mulford added that he is optimistic about bipartisan support about the India-US civilian nuclear agreement. Speaking about China's role in the Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting on the India-specific waiver, Mulford said the communist country did the right thing in the end.
People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party of China, on Monday described Indo-US nuclear deal a "major blow" to non-proliferation, apparently reflecting the Chinese government's thinking on the issue.
Dr Kakodkar made light of the suggestion that the NSG would meet only in April 2007, which could possibly impact the deal.
As the Left parties watch every move of the government on the Indo-US nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet US President George W Bush and other influential members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and seek their support for the civil nuclear cooperation with the US in these fora.
The clearance of this project was to come up at the NSG meeting but now the proposed $7 billion Iran-India gas pipeline is likely to dominate the agenda
Membership of Nuclear Suppliers Group ensures continued availability of fuel sufficient to operate India's nuclear plants.
India hopes to wrap up a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency later this month in Vienna, before approaching the Nuclear Suppliers Group, for changes to permit international nuclear commerce. India needs to reach a safeguards agreement and then get the nod of the 45-member NSG for operationalising the India-United States civil nuclear agreement.
The European Union is following with great interest India's discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency on the civilian nuclear agreement and will take a decision on supporting India at the Nuclear Suppliers Group after studying all the developments.
Diplomatic sources also indicated that the Indian minister may brief the Russian leadership on the progress made in India-Pakistan composite dialogue.
With China pressing ahead on its controversial decision to supply two additional nuclear reactors to Pakistan, the US on Friday indicated that the deal may not get the approval of the 46-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) given Islamabad's track record.
US Congress fires first salvo on the eve of ElBaradei's visit to India and even before the 123 Agreement is presented to NSG, presents laundry list of concerns in legislation.
Expecting India to play a major global role once Nuclear Suppliers Group approves the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, Japan on Tuesday said New Delhi will have to address disarmament and non-proliferation issue to demonstrate "authenticity."
India on Friday rejected China's contention that it must sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty to get membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
He admitted that some member countries of the 45-nation grouping have expressed concerns about the deal and 'we have talked to a lot of those various states'. "I am not going to name them, but we have talked to a lot of them. They have announced themselves publicly. You can look it up and what their concerns are," McCormack said.
India's request for a membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group should follow standard procedures based on consultations, China said on Thursday, reacting cautiously to New Delhi's inclusion in the world's premier non-proliferation body. The new membership of the NSG should follow its "standard procedures based on consultations among its members," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said.
An Indo-US working group comprising leading nuclear non-proliferation and foreign policy experts has urged both Washington and New Delhi to agree in principle to bring India into the export control groups that are part of the non-proliferation system.
He said the USINPAC delegation would meet Bhartiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh and leaders of the Left party who have expressed their apprehension over the nuclear deal.
'If they do not have this minimum self-respect, I can only feel sympathy for them. I was quoting President Bush about the Hyde Act, the Leader of the Opposition was quoting the under secretary of the US administration. What can I do?' External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on the NSG waiver, the Chinese stand and the domestic opposition to the nuclear deal.
With the Nuclear Suppliers Group draft set to be amended because of demands from some member countries, the government in Delhi on Sunday held a high-level meeting to analyse the new development and discuss options available to it. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee held hour-long discussions with Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Nuclear Deal Shyam Saran and senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and Department of Atomic Energy on the issue.
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon left for Washington Saturday morning after the two-day Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting in Vienna ended inconclusively on Friday with another round scheduled early next month for considering India's case for an exemption to do nuclear commerce with other countries.
India on Friday described as "constructive and useful" the two-day meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in the run-up to securing a clean exemption for conducting international nuclear commerce.
India has cancelled its briefing on the safeguards agreement for the members of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which was scheduled to be held in Vienna on July 18.The IAEA safeguards agreement is an essential step India has to take to integrate with international nuclear commerce before it secures a one-time waiver from the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group.
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.
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