India's Nuclear Agreement

[Spring Onion]

Austria stands between India and N-power

Amit Baruah, Hindustan Times
Email Author
Vienna, September 05, 2008
First Published: 21:56 IST(5/9/2008)
Last Updated: 10:13 IST(6/9/2008)

Print



India’s case for a waiver at the Nuclear Suppliers Group was being discussed intensely till late on Friday night, with the 45-nation club that controls global nuclear commerce unable to reach a decision till the filing of this report, at 11 pm India time.

It was touch and go most of the day, with the suspense intense: which way would the nuclear club go? Would it finally make an exception and allow India into the nuclear fold?

Non-proliferation hardliners ensured that a decision by the NSG actually went down to the wire. Austria, whose Capital Vienna was hosting the talks, led the opposition at the meeting, refusing to accept American suggestions, saying that it could not change policy on non-proliferation close to its parliament polls.

Senior Indian officials said Austria was joined by Ireland and New Zealand in opposing a waiver for India. China, too, wanted to know why the hurry to grant India the exemption.
Friday’s meeting was adjourned four times to allow for consultations. The final session began at 5.30 pm (9 pm India time). Diplomats coming out of the meeting appeared both pessimistic and optimistic, but no one was willing to give a commitment on the outcome.

India, of course, is not a member of the NSG and, consequently, none of its officials were present at the meeting. So, the onus of doing the “heavy lifting” for India lay with the United States, which has been leading the charge in trying to convince the NSG to ease its ban on nuclear trade with India.

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee issued a statement in New Delhi directed at NSG countries, seeking their cooperation on lifting nuclear curbs on India.

Acting US Under Secretary of State John Rood told reporters outside the meeting venue that Mukherjee had released a “very significant statement” with regard to India's non-proliferation commitments.

“So, on the basis of this (statement), we believe that a very positive momentum has been generated in the discussions…” Rood added that the US remained committed to achieving consensus within the NSG.


Austria stands between India and N-power- Hindustan Times

 

[Neo]

Nuclear supplier countries reconvene on US-India deal ​

By Simon Morgan
13 minutes ago

VIENNA (AFP) - Nuclear supplier nations met again Saturday to try to break a deadlock in talks on a US initiative to lift a 34-year-old embargo on nuclear trade with India.

After talking into the early hours of Saturday, delegates from the so-called Nuclear Suppliers Group were set to gather again at 11:00 am (0900 GMT) to see if any headway was still possible amid complaints of "bullying" tactics by Washington.

Discussions had broken up shortly before 2:00 am (0000 GMT) after the Chinese delegation walked out in support of three countries -- Austria, Ireland and New Zealand -- holding out for a clear-cut commitment on India's part to refrain from nuclear bomb testing, a diplomat had attended the meeting said.

"The Chinese were furious. They walked out. And there's no agreement without the Chinese," the diplomat told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Irish were furious, too, and had complained that the US had been bullying them.

"There were several high-level phone calls" to the capitals of the hold-out countries, with even US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice on the phone, the diplomat said.

The talks had been meant to end on Friday, but Washington is keen to get a deal through so that the US Congress can ratify it before it adjourns at the end of September for November elections.

The 2005 US-India deal is one of Bush's key foreign policy initiatives and may not come about it at all if left to the next government.

NSG rules ban nuclear trading with India because it refuses to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty, developed atomic bombs in secret and conducted its first nuclear test in 1974.

The United States wants a special waiver from NSG rules for India, so it can share civilian nuclear technology with New Delhi.

The United States argues the deal would bring India into the NPT fold and help combat global warming by allowing it to develop low-polluting nuclear energy.

Critics say the deal undermines international non-proliferation efforts and accuse the nuclear powers of pursuing commercial and political gains.

There are three main sticking points, one diplomat said.

Termination of trade if India tests, no transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technoloyg and an annual review of the agreement.

But the crunch issue appears to be nuclear testing, since New Delhi has not signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

India has said it "remains committed to a voluntary, unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing."

But New Zealand, Ireland and Austria are demanding a stronger commitment.

On Friday, Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, a spokesman for the Austrian foreign ministry had told Indian private television NDTV in a telephone interview: "We want to have more effective and qualitatively improved security architecture" and "auxilliary measures" needed to be incorporated in the waiver text.

"So far, the draft text (of the agreement) is weak, with no real condition or consequence should India test," one diplomat said.

Speaking to reporters in the early hours of Saturday, acting US Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security, John Rood, said he felt "confident" an accord could still be reached.

 

[Neo]

Nitesh, doesn't India posess Unranium enrichment technology?

 

[Goodperson]

Nitesh, doesn't India posess Unranium enrichment technology?

Yes but very less uranium.

 

[Neo]

Yes but very less uranium.

There are three main sticking points, one diplomat said.

Termination of trade if India tests, no transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technoloyg and an annual review of the agreement.

Why is India keen on getting this technology if she's already mastered it?

 

[Rohit]

Hey guys - NDTV says India most like to get waiver. Decision within minutes.

 

[Spring Onion]

Hey guys - NDTV says India most like to get waiver. Decision within minutes.

Although NDTV is one of the most crap broadcasting thing however nuke deal is one area where well if India get waiver it will be good for many countries to get away with NPT.

Iran is on top

 

[Rohit]

Yessssssssssssssssssssssssss.

India gets the waiver.

Cheers all.

 

[Spring Onion]

Why is India keen on getting this technology if she's already mastered it?

Beacuse despite bringing 14 (if im wrong correct me about the figure) or so nuke sites under IAEA under civilian use still India can manage to use large percentage of this energy for nuclear purposes rather there is no clear mechanism to make it transparent to that the energy will be used for civilian purposes.

 

[Rohit]

Finally the world has recognized - 39 out of 45 NSG members understand it.

India is a responsible nuclear power, we have policy of NO-FIRST-USE...and we have never threatened anybody of using nuclear weapons.





Jai Hind.

 

[Goodperson]

Why is India keen on getting this technology if she's already mastered it?

I will not say mastered it

India is presently undertaking technology demonstration of its second stage wherein plutonium produced by reprocessing of spent uranium fuel from the first stage pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) will be used in fast breeder reactors. The fast breeder fuel cycle shall be a closed one with the reprocessing of spent fuel from these reactors providing the fuel for the next stage premised on thorium-based reactors. Utilization of the vast thorium deposits in the country is the long-term objective of the Indian nuclear power programme for providing energy security on a sustainable basis. As becomes evident, reprocessing is an activity that is critical for this program.

Reprocessing of spent fuel actually offers one solution, since it not only ensures that every watt of power is extracted from the fuel, but also simultaneously reduces the stocks of radioactive waste.

 

[Flintlock]

Although NDTV is one of the most crap broadcasting thing however nuke deal is one area where well if India get waiver it will be good for many countries to get away with NPT.

Iran is on top

NDTV is one of the best English Language news networks in the world in terms of quality.

 

[Flintlock]

China says it backs India’s nuclear ambitions

China said it supported India’s nuclear plans and hoped for a middle ground at crucial ongoing talks in Vienna, as Indian officials elbowed their way towards getting the freedom to buy nuclear fuel from across the world.

The exclusive comments from Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue were sent to the Hindustan Times on the same evening when reports from Vienna said China had tried to stonewall a quick waiver for India at discussions of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

“Both China and India are major developing countries in rapid economic development. The two countries need secure, reliable and clean energy,” Hu, 55, said in a written interview. “Therefore, China understands India’s needs for civil nuclear energy and related international cooperation.”

The comments were made ahead of the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to India beginning Monday.

India says it needs Uranium imports to fuel its booming economy, one of the fastest growing in the world. It has also refused to sign the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, calling it discriminatory.

So if it wants to get Uranium without signing the treaty, India must get a waiver from the 45-country NSG, which regulates international trade in nuclear fuel.

Asked whether China supported such a waiver for India, Hu said: “Relevant issues are being addressed in the NSG. China hopes that NSG will find an appropriate solution that strikes a balance between nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear energy.”

A Chinese official separately told HT that despite the reports from Vienna, “our position has not changed from the text of the (HT) interview.”

The razor-edge NSG meetings, which could still go either way, are the final lap of a long journey that India has pursued for more than two years.

India’s journey began with an unprecedented agreement in March 2006 that led to the United States changing its laws especially for India to allow Washington to sell Uranium to India going only by its word and past good conduct on nuclear affairs.

The battle then went to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and now is being fought at Vienna.

“China believes all countries have the rights to peaceful use of nuclear energy and conducting related international cooperation based on the precondition of honouring international nuclear non-proliferation obligations,” Hu said.

He also commented on several other issues related to India-China relations. Here are some excerpts from the interview, the full text of which can be read at Hindustan Times: Latest Breaking News from India, Cricket, Bollywood, World, Business, Videos

Relations strongest ever

“In the first half of 2008, the two-way trade reached US$29 billion, up by 68.7 per cent over the corresponding period of last year. It is the fastest growth rate among China's top 10 trading partners.

India must relax restrictions:

“The total trade volume at the Nathu La border trade market was only over RMB4 million (Rs. 2.4 crores) in 2007.

China … hopes that India will further relax and eventually eliminate restrictions on commodities for border trade, which will help fully mobilize the enthusiasm of the businesses of the two sides.”

Dalai Lama:

“This year, India adopted measures to ensure the safety of torch relay of Beijing Olympic Games in New Delhi, and check anti-China activities by activists for “Tibet independence” on more than one occasion. China appreciates this. We hope India will continue to abide by its commitments on Tibet-related issues.”

Alleged Chinese incursions:

“(The) China-India boundary has never been formally delimited … Pending an ultimate solution, China stands ready to work with India to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. The two countries signed (agreements on this in 1993 and 1996) … China is serious about these two agreements.”

Border dispute:

“There are still some outstanding issues left by history between the two sides ... It is necessary to proceed from the fundamental interests of the two countries and their peoples and find a fair and equitable solution acceptable to both. It is fair to say that positive progress has been made in negotiations on the related issues.”

HindustanTimes-Print
© Copyright 2007 Hindustan Times

 

[Goodperson]

INDIA GETS NSG WAIVER !!! (More soon)

 

[Goodperson]

India gets NSG waiver at Vienna

No major changes in NSG Draft

VIENNA: The 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on Saturday agreed to grant India a "clean waiver" from its existing rules, which forbid nuclear trade with a country which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The NSG's decision came after three days of intense diplomacy by the US in the nuclear cartel that controls the global flow of nuclear fuel and technologies.

India gets NSG waiver at Vienna-Europe-World-The Times of India