Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Sunday, Mar 09, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Sunday, Mar 09, 2008 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home Page
-
Power Government - Politics Nuclear deal: India close to final IAEA text on safeguards
Safeguards agreement round the corner, says an IAEA spokesman. IAEA refuses to divulge a time-frame for wrapping up the final text. Anil Sasi New Delhi, March 8 Amidst mounting tension between the Government and its Left allies on the way forward on the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that substantive progress has been made on the ongoing talks with India and that a final text on the proposed India-specific safeguards agreement is round the corner. “The talks are close to a final text. Considerable progress has been achieved during the round of negotiations about a safeguards agreement between the IAEA and India held last week in Vienna. Consultations between India and the Agency will continue,” an IAEA spokesperson told Business Line. While the Agency refused to divulge a time-frame for wrapping up the final text, Government sources said an end-March deadline is being targeted. Finalisation of the text for the safeguards agreement is a key requirement to operationalise the nuclear deal. The progress at the latest round of talks in Vienna mark a narrowing down of differences between the global nuclear watchdog and India on evolving the proposed country-specific safeguards, since the commencement of negotiations in November last year. Once the IAEA agreement is in place, India will have to seek a waiver from Nuclear Suppliers Group — the 45-member cartel that controls global nuclear commerce — before a fresh vote in the US Congress. According to the tentative schedule, if the safeguards agreement is firmed up by April, the Indian case for an exemption can be put forth at the NSG plenary scheduled for May 19 in South Africa. Left view“Our agenda is the nuclear deal and not the stability of the Government or an early or late election. We are opposed to the deal because we think it is not in the interest of the country,” CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Mr Sitaram Yechury told newspersons here on Saturday, on the sidelines of the party central committee meeting. The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had told Parliament earlier this week that efforts would be made to seek the “broadest possible consensus” on the issue. He had also appealed to his predecessor, former Prime Minister Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to rise above “narrow” party politics and support the Indo-US nuclear deal. Meanwhile, the BJP Vice-President, Mr M Venkaiah Naidu, at a press meet in Kochi on Saturday, reiterated his party position that it was against the deal “in its present form” as it would mean “surrendering the country’s sovereignty” to the US.
The HYDE ACT — Misreading or misleading? 11 myths that make nuclear deal unclear Nuclear deal and non-proliferation issues More Stories on : Power | Politics | Foreign Relations
Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page
|
Stories in this Section |
 |
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | The Hindu ePaper | Business Line | Business Line ePaper | Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | The Hindu Images | Home |
Copyright © 2008, The
Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu Business Line
|
