US nuke deal
won’t dictate foreign policy: India
NEW DELHI—A compromise bill agreed by U.S. lawmakers to allow civil
nuclear energy cooperation with India was welcomed by New Delhi on
Friday, but the foreign ministry said policy would not be bound by the
deal.
New Delhi had strongly objected to a provision in earlier drafts of the
legislation which would have linked nuclear cooperation to India’s
support for international efforts to restrain Iran’s nuclear programme.
The final draft of the law has watered that provision down, requiring
that U.S. presidents report on whether India is cooperating in
restraining Iran but not especially demanding that it cooperate. India’s
foreign ministry said it welcomed the outcome of the negotiations
between the House and Senate which had produced the final draft of the
legislation. “Government also notes that this draft legislation contains
certain extraneous and prescriptive provisions,” it said in a statement.
“As prime minister stated in parliament, no legislation enacted in a
foreign country can take away from us the sovereign right to conduct
foreign policy determined solely by our national interests,” it added.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier promised parliament
that the nuclear deal would not be accepted by his government if it
deviated from an agreement reached with U.S. President George W. Bush or
made additional demands.
“We look forward to working with the U.S. administration for an early
conclusion of a satisfactory agreement,” the foreign ministry said. The
historic legislation, which aims to reverse a nearly three-decade ban on
nuclear-armed India from purchasing U.S. nuclear reactors and fuel, is
expected to be voted on by the U.S. Congress later on Friday. The United
States says Iran’s nuclear programme is aimed at producing weapons and
Tehran says is for energy generation. After the U.S. Congress passes the
bill, it will have to be approved by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers’
Group.
A key nuclear accord between India and the United States that is on the
verge of approval by Congress will be a stepping stone to enhanced
military ties, a top US official said.
The legislation allowing India access to long-denied civilian nuclear
technology was due to be approved later Friday by US Congress and would
go afterwards to President George W. Bush for his signature into law.
Visiting US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns called the measure
“historic” and said the agreement was at the “symbolic centre in this
new strategic partnership” between the world’s two largest democracies.
The pact would also help further Washington’s “separate ambition” of
creating closer military links between the two countries, he told a news
conference on Friday.
“We want to build a much closer military relationship with India and we
are very hopeful that the US can participate in the transformation of
the Indian armed forces,” he said. India’s technology-starved military
is one of the world’s largest weapons buyers. “We believe we produce
some of the best helicopters and fighter planes in the world and we have
been reliable and good partners of many countries around the world
supplying that type of technology,” Burns said.—Agencies |
