'India, Russia nuclear cooperation will continue'

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, DEC. 16. Russia will continue nuclear cooperation with India even if it meant reviewing its commitments under international exports controls.

The Russian Minister for Atomic Energy, Mr. Yevgeny Adamov, expressed confidence that Russia will supply more nuclear reactors to India in addition to two units for the Koodankulam power plant agreed earlier. ``I am convinced there will be more contracts,'' Mr. Adamov told presspersons in Moscow.

As a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Russia is under restrictions to supply nuclear technology to countries such as India which had refused to place all its nuclear programmes under full-scope safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Despite the U.S. pressure, Russia went ahead with the Koodankulam deal, arguing it had been negotiated before the full-scope rule was clamped down in 1992.

Replying to a question from The Hindu on how Russia's intention to supply

more nuclear reactors to India could be reconciled with the NSG restrictions, Mr. Adamov hinted that Moscow could withdraw from the NSG. If current restrictions on cooperation in peaceful use of nuclear energy were not modified, there may be changes in the lists of participants in various control regimes, the Minister said.

Mr. Adamov cited the example of China, which had not adhered to the NSG inspite of being a member of the Zangger Committee of nuclear exporters. This enabled her to build a 300- MW nuclear plant in Pakistan recently, since the Zangger Committee rules did not require full-scope safeguards. Russia is a member of both the NSG and the Zangger Committee. However, Mr. Adamov was confident that Russia could persuade the NSG to ease export restrictions.

``We should be able to bring our partners in the NSG to an understanding that the enforcement of rules which contradict Articles 3 and 4 (of the non-proliferation treaty) amounts to slapping sanctions against India and harming Russian commercial interests, the Russian Minister said.

Article 3 of the NPT said international safeguards must not hamper international cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear activities, while Article 4 urged all NPT signatories to contribute to further development of the applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes with due consideration for the needs of developing areas of the world.

Mr. Adamov denounced as `unconstructive' the Western nuclear technology boycott of India to force it to give up its nuclear option and sign the non-proliferation accords. Such attempts amounted to sanctions, he said. ``We are against a policy of sanctions and did not impose them even when India conducted its nuclear tests.''

Mr. Adamov's statement raised the veil of secrecy over the Indo- Russian nuclear cooperation agreement signed during the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin's visit to Delhi in October, but whose contents had not been made public. ``We will do our best to participate in India's ambitious programme to generate 20,000 MW of nuclear power by 2020, he said.

The Minister said the Russian side was completing a detailed report on the Koodankulam project and hoped that a commercial contract for the supply of two reactors would be signed next year.

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