India, US forge ahead with nuke deal
From Meerza Iqbal Baig

NEW DELHI—India and the United States said they were determined to implement a bilateral nuclear deal that breaks precedent on decades of non-proliferation policy. Describing his talks with Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran as “good,” US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said Washington would “stick” with the agreement signed on July 18 during a visit to Washington by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“I assured my friend Shyam that we will stick to our agreement ... and fulfill the obligations under the agreement,” Burns told reporters in New Delhi on Friday. Saran said the two sides should have an understanding on the agreement in place by the time President George W. Bush arrives on a visit to India expected early next year. Under the terms of the civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, New Delhi has to separate civilian and military nuclear programs in exchange for advanced civilian nuclear technology. India would place its civilian nuclear reactors under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection while Washington would lobby the 44-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group to allow civilian nuclear sales to India.
In return, Washington would give India access to technology normally reserved for nations that have signed the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). The deal also commits Washington to persuade countries constituting the 44 member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to lift restrictions on India in civilian nuclear technology trade. Burns conceded that some members of the NSG in a meeting in Washington on Wednesday had questions about lifting the embargo on civilian nuclear technology trade with India.
“I don’t expect this to be an impediment,” in implementation of the deal, he added. The group normally restricts cooperation with countries, like India, that are not NPT members. India carried out nuclear weapon tests in May 1998, which were matched by rival Pakistan, leading to economic sanctions by the United States on both countries which were waived in 2001 in return for support in the “war on terrorism”. “I think by the time that President Bush visits New Delhi in early 2006, we will see that both of our countries would have met our commitment in this landmark agreement,” Burns, who was instrumental in developing the partnership agreement, said.
The ruling Congress party-led government last month was accused by opposition political parties of caving in to US pressure in supporting an IAEA resolution that opens the door to reporting Iran to the UN Security Council for violating international nuclear safeguards.