Bibhu Prasad Routray explains why the US is supporting Japan's resolve to release 'treated' radioactive waste water into the Pacific Ocean. And what role China plays in the US decision.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday and asserted that there can be no military solution to the Ukraine conflict, while also underlining that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have catastrophic consequences.
ElBaradei will have talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Indian leaders in Delhi even as the government's standoff with the Left on the nuclear deal escalated further.
In yet another step towards full implementation of the United States-India civilian nuclear deal -- which the Obama administration has been accused in some quarters of not being fully committed to -- US President Barack Obama on Wednesday issued a memorandum certifying the agreement between India and the International Atomic Energy Agency of the Safeguards Agreement on India's civilian nuclear facilities.
There is disappointment that such a high profile agency with great potential for peace and development has not attracted the enormous talent available wide world outside the Vienna International Centre, says T P Sreenivasan.
Someone suggested Jaishankar was a potential Kissinger who could try and resolve the Russia-Ukraine imbroglio through his intellectual and diplomatic strengths. But calling the spade a spade on issues like imperialism, colonialism and exploitation, he would have raised many eyebrows in the West at a time when the fractures and wounds needed to be treated and healed, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
'Nuclear safety evaluations are being put in the public domain to enhance transparency and boost public confidence,' the prime minister told the second Nuclear Security Summit. Nikhil Lakshman reports from Seoul
India on Wednesday said Iran should fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency with a view to restoring confidence of the international community that its nuclear programme is peaceful in nature.
The safeguards pact, which is the next step in the operationalisation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, was sent to the 35-nation Board on a day when the Left parties formally withdrew support from the United Progressive Alliance government, following a bitter feud over the deal which has remained stalled for several months.
Stepping up the ante, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has declared that India will approach the IAEA on the Indo-US nuclear deal very soon and the process will move very fast. Talking tough, he said he would discuss the nuke deal with US President George W Bush and other leaders and seek their support. He also said he was ready to face Parliament for a trial of strength.
It is paradoxical that even those members who are most crucial in the decision-making process, leave alone the public, are denied access to scrutinise the full text of the IAEA agreement while many in the international community, particularly those from the NSG countries, must be scanning it with a microscope!
A senior minister said Friday's meet UPA-Left committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal was crucial to allow the government to approach the IAEA.
The United Progressive Alliance-Left stand-off on Indo-US nuclear deal notwithstanding, the Indian Atomic Energy department is holding consultations with International Atomic Energy Agency for working out a safeguards agreement.
The Pakistan Foreign Office issued a statement in response to questions from the press about reports in the media on the 'seizure of possible radioactive material' by Indian authorities at Mundra Port on a cargo ship from Karachi Port to Shanghai in China.
The report also said that without greater transparency and spot checks, the International Atomic Energy Agency cannot affirm that Tehran's nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes to produce energy and not weapons.
In a significant step which will enable it to engage in international nuclear commerce, India signed the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) on Wednesday, which sets parameters on a nuclear operator's financial liability, at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
Top space scientist and former Indian Space Research Organisation chief K Kasturirangan Tuesday asserted that the country was capable of dealing with International Atomic Energy Agency inspections of its nuclear installations.
The international community must focus not only on recipient states but on supplier states as well, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said.
Left parties have decided to launch a nationwide campaign against the centre's decision to support IAEA resolution against Iran.
Some believe that, as prime minister, Sunak will be particularly friendly to India and that he would return the Kohinoor and do similar gestures to his motherland. Such wishful thinking is not likely to materialise as he will act in the best interests of the UK and will not even appear to favour India, argues Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
The overwhelming feeling at the end of COP 27 was that despite decades of meetings and landmark accords, like the Paris Agreement, the world was still not doing enough to slow the climate crisis, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
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.
The Left parties have steadfastly opposed the 123 agreement for civilian nuclear cooperation with the United States. The United Progressive Alliance-Left Committee on Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation was constituted to discuss the problems arising out of the provisions of the Hyde Act and its impact on the 123 agreement.
Although the pact would focus mainly on the Pacific and the South China Sea region, any action designed to deter China with or without New Delhi's active participation is a welcome move, notes Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Indian negotiators and International Atomic Energy Agency officials will meet shortly in Vienna to iron out the differences in readying the 'agreed text' on India-specific safeguards, which is crucial to operationalise the India-United States nuclear deal.
The two sides have held four rounds of talks in Vienna to finalise the draft pact, which the Congress-led government has to place before the United Progressive Alliance-Left panel to get a political go ahead for the deal, that aims to get India out of nuclear wilderness. "We have held four rounds of talks but do not have a draft yet," a source said.
Last week, the third round of talks in Vienna failed to ready the agreed text and the next round is scheduled to begin on Wednesday. Originally, the third round was considered to be the final round but there was no agreement on the issue of India's right to hold its strategic reserve to cater lifetime supply to its civilian nuclear plants.
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.
'Putin is in danger of losing face in his Ukrainian adventure. His bluster is a response to this.'
The US has promised all help to persuade their friends and allies to accommodate India, but India will have to work bilaterally with each of the 45 members, as implementation of the guidelines is an individual rather than a collective responsibility.
IAEA meeting could vote against Iran: US
Will Empire strike back to prevent a game changing election result, asks T P Sreenivasan.
"The request comes a day after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said they planned to send nuclear centrifuges to the agency for investigation relating to Iran's nuclear programme," Pakistan Foreign office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani was quoted in
India has received a positive response from the Non-Aligned Movement countries, which are members of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group on the Indo-US nuclear deal after it briefed them on the safeguards agreement, which the global nuclear watchdog will consider on Friday.
Iran is also defying UN demands to suspend uranium enrichment and is producing more powerful centrifuges, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a strongly worded report, which is bound to renew demands from the US and its western allies for tougher sanctions against Tehran. The report is yet to be released officially, but is said to accuse Iran of not providing all information, especially relating to 'high explosives testing' relating to nuclear programme.
Not satisfied with the UPA's replies to their queries on the nuclear issue, the Left parties are likely to ask the government to finalise an India-specific safeguards agreement with International Atomic Energy Agency only after the 123 agreement with the US lapses.
'When human beings develop these dangerous toys and leave their control in the hands of aggressive megalomaniac politicians, the threat of a nuclear holocaust is always lurking on the horizon.'
