India's Nuclear Agreement

[macintosh]

India, Kazakhstan sign nuclear pact

New Delhi, Jan 24: India and Kazakhstan on Saturday signed five agreements, including one on civil nuclear energy.


Mukherjee performs PM`s protocol duties
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who arrived here on Friday night on a four-day visit ahead of the Republic Day parade Monday where he will be the chief guest, signed the agreements with the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the presence of President Pratibha Patil.

Apart from the deal on nuclear energy cooperation signed between the Nuclear Power Corp of India (NCPI) and Kazakh nuclear major National Co KazAtomProm, the two countries signed on the dotted line on an extradition treaty, a pact on cooperation in space activities, a protocol in the accession of Kazakhstan to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and a deal between oil majors ONGC Mittal Energy (OMEL) and Kazakhstan's National Co KazmunaiG (KMG).

Mukherjee represented India on account of Prime Miister Manmohan Singh's illness. The venue of the talks were also shifted from Hyderabad House to Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Manmohan Singh has undergone a bypass surgery in a Delhi hospital and will take a few weeks to recover. Mukherjee, who is officiating in his place, has also taken on the prime minister's protocol duties.

Kazakhstan will be the fourth country after the US, France and Russia to sign a civil nuclear pact with India.

Kazakhstan has the world's second largest uranium reserves and is the third largest producer of nuclear fuel.

 

[macintosh]

India, Kazakhstan sign uranium supply pact
Press Trust of India
Saturday, January 24, 2009, (New Delhi)

India signed a civil nuclear pact with Kazakhstan on Wednesday under which the uranium-rich Central Asian country will supply much-needed fuel to atomic plants in the country.

India also signed four other pacts, including an Extradition Treaty, in the presence of President Pratibha Patil and her Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Patil oversaw the proceedings of inking of the four pacts as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was indisposed.

Kazakhstan will provide uranium and related products under the Memorandum of Understanding between Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and KazAtomProm. The MoU was signed by NPCIL CMD S K Jain and KazAtomProm President Moukhtar Dzhakishev.

The MoU also opens up possibilities of joint exploration of uranium in Kazakhstan, which has the world's second largest uranium reserves, and India building atomic power plants in the Central Asian country.

"These agreements are very important for the stature of our bilateral relations," Nazarbayev told reporters in New Delhi.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who led the delegation level talks in absence of Singh, inked the Extradition Treaty with his Kazakh counterpart Marat Tazhin.

Minister of State of Commerce Jairam Ramesh and Kazakh Minister of Trade and Industry Vladimir Shkolnik signed the protocol on the accession of Kazakhstan to the World Trade Organisation.

An MoU was signed between ISRO and Kazakh Space Agency for space cooperation. ONGC Mittal Energy Limited also signed and agreement with state-run KazMunaiGas.

 

[nitesh]

India to sign IAEA inspection agreement on Monday - diplomat

India to sign IAEA inspection agreement on Monday - diplomat
South Asia News

Jan 29, 2009, 16:00 GMT

Vienna/New Delhi - India is set to sign its nuclear inspection agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday, bringing the country a step closer to enlarging its nuclear power sector, a diplomat said Thursday in Vienna.

Nuclear exporting countries decided last September to supply India, even though the country has not signed the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty, on the condition that its civilian nuclear facilities come under IAEA controls.

However, the so-called safeguards agreement with the IAEA will not immediately come into force, as it still has to be ratified by India, said the diplomat, who is close to the IAEA.

Like all officials interviewed for this article, he spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the press on the record.

The agreement will give IAEA inspectors the right to monitor up to 14 Indian reactors by the year 2014. The nuclear-weapons state agreed under its nuclear 2006 deal with the US to separate its military and civilian nuclear facilities.

The ratification of the safeguards pact was a mere 'mechanical' step that needed no further decision by India's parliament or president, an official at the Department of Atomic Energy in Mumbai said.

However, the process of deciding which Indian facilities to place under IAEA safeguards might prove to be politically difficult, a Vienna-based Western diplomat said.

India has signed civil nuclear cooperation agreements with the US, France and Russia since the exporting countries of the Nuclear Suppliers Group lifted its export ban last September. It also signed a pact with Kazakhstan for supply of uranium fuel for its atomic plants last week.

In addition, India and Canada are close to concluding a nuclear cooperation agreement, according to India's PTI news agency.

However, these deals are unlikely to come into force before the IAEA starts its inspection process.

'There might be a lot of agreements, but but they can only be carried out once the conditions set by the Nuclear Suppliers Group are met,' a European diplomat said.

 

[Gokul]

Yep, we can use the steam generated from the agreements and business to get our way with the US

US business are expecting business in the range of 150 to 200 billion an year out of the contracts that emenate from the nuclear deal...

We should passively use the threat of deals with France and Russia to make them sweat a little more... what you guys say ???

 

[suresh_]

Yep, we can use the steam generated from the agreements and business to get our way with the US

US business are expecting business in the range of 150 to 200 billion an year out of the contracts that emenate from the nuclear deal...

We should passively use the threat of deals with France and Russia to make them sweat a little more... what you guys say ???

hmm, no this is the begining of indo-US relationship, we shouldnt come across as untrustworthy, but a little, just a little small pressure might be nice.

 

[Gokul]

Yep, that is what I'm saying... slight pressure... maybe force them to sell F-22s and F-35...

Those planes are supposed to be good.... but, certainly not FA-18... I heard that copared to MiG-35 that would require too much investment....

Once they are happily invested in India, then we should turn the screws...

 

[nitesh]

no if the company/country which is getting contract should ensure life time fuel supply guarantee. Otherwise should not get the contract.

 

[Gokul]

You're talking about the nuclear deals, or the jet deals ???

If you are talking about nuclear deals, dont worry, Kazakhstan has said that they are willing to supply uranium to us, and Kazakhs can be fairly well trusted... so not too much trouble on that account..

And, if we want plutonium, we should get it from the regular suppliers... not too much trouble on that count either...

 

[nitesh]

what are you smoking?
Who gives you plutonium?

Too incoherent to respond

 

[Gokul]

Oops sorry, my mistake...

 

[nitesh]

pls don't mix up things. It is clear that there will be two types of reactors one will be on strategic side which will not be open to any one. And other is on Commercial side which will be open to inspection . Here who so ever is opening up plant needs to guarantee then fuel supply otherwise will not get the contract. This will ensure that we can stock up the Yellow cake for countries like Kazakhstan for use in our strategic program. The others will run on the uranium supplied by the original contractor.

 

[Gokul]

Since you seem to be more knowledgeable on this Nitesh, can't our existing Plutonium stockpiles be used for electricity generation ???

 

[nitesh]

Well from existing plutonium only we are going to have our first prototype ready in Tamilnadu right. It's getting used buddy but what we need is a series of reactors maily PHWR which will use uranium and produce plutonium and then use this plutonuim to mix with thorium to produce electricity. Plus plutonium will be used for our navy and nuclear weapons also.

 

[Contrarian]

What i dont get is how the 123 agreement stops India from transferring scientists from those reactors bought from say France and the Indigenous ones. A lot of new technologies would be open this way. The nuke deal must have ensured there are no loopholes, what is it?

 

[nitesh]

malay we are not the de facto nuclear power we are de jure sort of nuclear power so there is some anbiguity here and there