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Indian stalemate continues on US nuclear deal
New Delhi (AFP) Sept 19, 2007 India's ruling Congress party held a new round of tense talks Wednesday with its communist allies, who are trying to block a nuclear energy deal with the United States, its leaders said. The discussions, however, remained inconclusive, with the two sides agreeing to continue talks next month. "The discussions were constructive and will continue at the next meeting of the committee," Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after the meeting. Mukherjee heads a 15-member committee set up by the government this month to review objections by its left-wing allies to the nuclear accord. The meeting came a day after Communist Party leader Prakash Karat demanded the government shelve the controversial accord with Washington for six months. The pact, if implemented, would allow energy-hungry India to buy civilian nuclear technology while possessing nuclear weapons, despite not having signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. But the communists, who prop up the government in parliament, say the deal would bring traditionally non-aligned India uncomfortably close to the United States and could limit its nuclear weapons programme. The committee, whose members include lawmakers from the Congress and leftist parties, held one unsuccessful meeting earlier this month. The row between the government and leftist parties has been described as the most serious to rock the coalition since it came to power in 2004 and has sparked the possibility of a general election more than a year ahead of schedule. The dominant Congress party of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, however, has been lobbying hard for the nuclear accord to be moved forward -- arguing the country's booming economy is in desperate need of all energy options. It has scheduled talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on inspections as a precursor to being given access to nuclear fuel, and foreign ministry sources said IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei was due to visit India in the next four weeks. The deal also requires the approval of the US Congress before it can be implemented, and New Delhi must also conclude an agreement with the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers' Group before it can buy power plants and technology.
earlier related report "There was a bilateral meeting between agency officials and the Indians. It was the normal sort of meeting that member states would have" within the context of the general conference, a diplomat said on condition of anonymity. He could not confirm, however, if the International Atomic Energy Agency's director general, Mohamed ElBaradei, had taken part in the meeting. India must begin key negotiations with the IAEA if a nuclear deal that New Dehli recently signed with United States is to go ahead. The agreement will allow India to buy atomic fuel, technology and plants from the US even though it is not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. However, there appears to be no sign of progress just yet. An IAEA spokesman said that there no new developments in the situation between the agency and India, specifically in terms of nuclear safeguards. "There is still no approach from India about safeguards," the spokesman said. The US-Indian nuclear pact has come under heavy fire in India, particularly from opposition parties and the government's communist allies who argue it will limit India's strategic options. In a speech to the International Atomic Energy Agency's general conference on Wednesday, India's atomic energy commission chief Anil Kakodkar made no direct reference to the deal, but alluded to it only indirectly. "We are looking forward to the possibility of opening up of international civil nuclear cooperation," he said. "We expect such cooperation to be sustainable, free from interruptions and consistent with our national policy of closed fuel cycle." Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Civil Nuclear Energy Science, Technology and News Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
Areva official to visit China pending EPR contract
Paris (AFP) Sept 18, 2007The head of French nuclear company Areva plans to pay a working visit to China soon as the company awaits confirmation of two contracts for third-generation EPRs (European Pressurised water Reactors), Areva said on Tuesday. |
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