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US -India arrive at nuclear accord
Washington: Three decades of nuclear sanctions against India were brushed aside as President Bush, in a dramatic policy shift, promised India full cooperation in developing its civilian nuclear power program without demanding that it sign a major nuclear arms control treaty and sought out New Delhi as an overarching ally for the 21st century.

By granting India a de facto nuclear power status, Bush overturned a generation of sanctions and hostility from Washington's nuclear non-proliferation lobby towards New Delhi, ever since it's first nuclear test in 1974, and follow-up explosions in 1998.

The full extent of the American leap of trust and its import is best understood by citing verbatim the relevant paragraph in the lengthy joint statement.

"President Bush conveyed his appreciation to the Prime Minister over India's strong commitment to preventing WMD proliferation and stated that as a responsible state with advanced nuclear technology," it begins, before lowering the boom on the non-pro crowd - "India should acquire the same benefits and advantages as other such states."

It then goes on to say, that the President told the Prime Minister that he will work to achieve full civil nuclear energy cooperation with India as it realizes its goals of promoting nuclear power and achieving energy security.

Further, it says that the President would also seek agreement from Congress to adjust US laws and policies, and the United States will work with friends and allies to adjust international regimes to enable full civil nuclear energy cooperation and trade with India including, but not limited to expeditious consideration of fuel supplies for safeguarded nuclear reactors at Tarapur.

In the meantime, the United States will encourage its partners to also consider this request expeditiously.

Listening to him were a delegation of Indian and American CEOs.
Terrorism was the other big theme of the address, the Prime Minister once again making the point that India had confronted and combated terrorism much before the rest of the world.

"We know that those who resort to terror often clothe it in the garb of real or imaginary grievances. We must categorically affirm that no grievance can justify resort to terror. The United States and India must work together in all possible forums to counter all forms of terrorism. We cannot be selective in this area," he added.

Towards the end of his speech, the Prime Minister also broached the one diplomatic issue that still needs to be resolved - India's bid to get a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

"The UN Security Council must be restructured as part of the reform process. In this context, you would agree that the voice of the world's largest democracy surely cannot be left unheard on the Security Council when the United Nations is being restructured," he said.

Such addresses are usually reserved for Washington's closest allies and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is only the eighth leader in President Bush's tenure to address the US Congress.

India's foreign secretary Shyam Saran called the developments a "major breakthrough for India."

India will, under the agreement reached between PM Manmohan Singh and President George Bush, be able to get fuel not only for Tarapore but for any other nuclear reactor on the same basis as any nuclear weapon power, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said. Bush has made a commitment to cooperate with India on nuclear energy, and New Delhi, on its part is making a reciprocal commitment to place civilian nuclear reactors and not military nuclear reactors under IAEA safeguards, he said. That, in fact, is what the US and other nuclear weapon powers have done, Saran said.

The principle of reciprocity which has been agreed upon, he said, is very important. "There is very good balance in the joint statement. We have committed ourselves to do exactly what other nuclear states with advanced technology are prepared to do. The principle of reciprocity is very important.
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