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14662
Sat, 08/02/2008 - 10:00
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IAEA approves safeguards pact,Indo-US nuke deal moves forward
Lalitha Vaidyanathan Vienna, Aug 2 (PTI) The India-specific safeguards agreement was approved by the Board of Governors of the IAEA by consensus in a key step to implement the Indo-US atomicdeal and bringing India closer to ending nuclear isolation.
The agreement that will open India's 14 of the 22 existing and future nuclear reactors for inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog got the green signal from the 35-member Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA)after a three-hour meeting.
With the landmark nuclear deal having passing the first international test, India still needs a waiver from the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for resumption of nuclear trade and approval by the US Congress before thedeal can come into force.
In the first reaction from the Indian government, Science and Technology minister Kapil Sibal voiced optimism that New Delhi will get a "clean and unconditional" exemption at theNSG which is likely to meet around August 21 in Vienna.
With India and the US on an overdrive to fast track the deal, the nuke accord may come before the US Congress for ratification sometime next month once the NSG clearance isobtained.
After its meeting, the Board of governors authorised IAEA Director General Muhammed ElBaradei to conclude with the Indian government and subsequently implement theIndia-specific safeguards pact.
Sources said it was a smooth passage for the safeguards pact at the Board meeting after ElBaradei gave enough indications that the pact will sail through when he said the accord conformed to "all the legal requirements" of his agencyand that talks had begun on a system of extended inspections.
India's journey to the IAEA to get the approval of the safeguards pact was marked by a lot of bad blood between the UPA government and its outside supporters Left which ultimately led the communist parties to withdraw support overthe nuke deal last month.
The government, which staked its survival over the nuke deal, moved full throttle in approaching the IAEA on July nine to push the stalled deal forward, a day after the Leftwithdrew support to the Manmohan Singh government.
Tabling the safeguards text at the start of the meeting, ElBaradei said "These are not comprehensive or full-scope safeguards(unlike with NPT member states)... But it (agreement) satisfies India's needs while maintaining all the Agency's legal requirements." ElBaradei's remarks gave a boost to the prospects for the Indo-US nuclear deal and the 27-member European Union too threw its weight behind the safeguards pact that set the stagefor its approval.
The US described the approval of India-specific safeguards agreement as a key step in the implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal and vowed to "vigorously" obtain an India-specific exception in the NSG and clearance from the USCongress.
"The approval today of India-specific safeguards agreement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) Board of Governors is a key step towards implementation of theUS-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation initiative.
"We will work vigorously with India to obtain an India-specific exception in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the final US Congressional approval," US Ambassador to IndiaDavid C. Mulford said in a statement in New Delhi.
Mulford gave his reaction from the US where he has goneon a short break.
In a strong backing for the safeguards pact, ElBaradei said the agreement's "umbrella" nature provides a more efficient mechanism for ensuring that safeguards requirementscan be met.
"It is an 'umbrella agreement', which provides for any facility notified by India to the agency in the future tobecome subject to safeguards," he said.
Touching upon an area of concern, he said India and the IAEA have already begun discussions on an Additional Protocol, which will be specific to the country--a system of shortnotice, wider-ranging inspections. PTI
The agreement that will open India's 14 of the 22 existing and future nuclear reactors for inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog got the green signal from the 35-member Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA)after a three-hour meeting.
With the landmark nuclear deal having passing the first international test, India still needs a waiver from the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for resumption of nuclear trade and approval by the US Congress before thedeal can come into force.
In the first reaction from the Indian government, Science and Technology minister Kapil Sibal voiced optimism that New Delhi will get a "clean and unconditional" exemption at theNSG which is likely to meet around August 21 in Vienna.
With India and the US on an overdrive to fast track the deal, the nuke accord may come before the US Congress for ratification sometime next month once the NSG clearance isobtained.
After its meeting, the Board of governors authorised IAEA Director General Muhammed ElBaradei to conclude with the Indian government and subsequently implement theIndia-specific safeguards pact.
Sources said it was a smooth passage for the safeguards pact at the Board meeting after ElBaradei gave enough indications that the pact will sail through when he said the accord conformed to "all the legal requirements" of his agencyand that talks had begun on a system of extended inspections.
India's journey to the IAEA to get the approval of the safeguards pact was marked by a lot of bad blood between the UPA government and its outside supporters Left which ultimately led the communist parties to withdraw support overthe nuke deal last month.
The government, which staked its survival over the nuke deal, moved full throttle in approaching the IAEA on July nine to push the stalled deal forward, a day after the Leftwithdrew support to the Manmohan Singh government.
Tabling the safeguards text at the start of the meeting, ElBaradei said "These are not comprehensive or full-scope safeguards(unlike with NPT member states)... But it (agreement) satisfies India's needs while maintaining all the Agency's legal requirements." ElBaradei's remarks gave a boost to the prospects for the Indo-US nuclear deal and the 27-member European Union too threw its weight behind the safeguards pact that set the stagefor its approval.
The US described the approval of India-specific safeguards agreement as a key step in the implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal and vowed to "vigorously" obtain an India-specific exception in the NSG and clearance from the USCongress.
"The approval today of India-specific safeguards agreement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) Board of Governors is a key step towards implementation of theUS-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation initiative.
"We will work vigorously with India to obtain an India-specific exception in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the final US Congressional approval," US Ambassador to IndiaDavid C. Mulford said in a statement in New Delhi.
Mulford gave his reaction from the US where he has goneon a short break.
In a strong backing for the safeguards pact, ElBaradei said the agreement's "umbrella" nature provides a more efficient mechanism for ensuring that safeguards requirementscan be met.
"It is an 'umbrella agreement', which provides for any facility notified by India to the agency in the future tobecome subject to safeguards," he said.
Touching upon an area of concern, he said India and the IAEA have already begun discussions on an Additional Protocol, which will be specific to the country--a system of shortnotice, wider-ranging inspections. PTI
