India, US finalise nuclear cooperation agreement

28 July 2007

Mumbai: India and the United States wound up negotiations on their civil nuclear cooperation agreement that would allow New Delhi to reprocess spent fuel and may ensure continued fuel supplies even if India tests another nuclear device.

The deal would give India access to US nuclear fuel and equipment, which was suspended for the past 30 years, even though New Delhi is yet to join nuclear non-proliferation pacts.

Although critics say the draft of the agreement is loosely worded, officials on both sides said the long-delayed accord met their needs but other critical steps must be taken before it can be implemented, including approval by the US Congress.

India must also negotiate an inspection regime for its civil nuclear facilities with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and win approval from the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, before cooperation can begin.

"Civil nuclear cooperation between the United States and India will offer enormous strategic and economic benefits to both countries, including enhanced energy security, a more environmentally friendly energy source, greater economic opportunities and more robust nonproliferation efforts," US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and India''s foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a joint statement.

Despite Rice''s assurances, the deal needs approval from the US Congress. Many lawmakers and non-proliferation experts are concerned about what they consider as concessions to the Indian nuclear establishment that undermine US non-proliferation goals.