A STEP FORWARD: U.S. President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after addressing the media at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Thursday. — Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

NEW DELHI: India and the United States on Thursday hammered out an understanding on the separation of New Delhi's civilian and military nuclear facilities, which Washington will have to push through the U.S. Congress and the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG).

Hailing the "successful completion" of their discussions, a joint statement here said the two sides "looked forward" to the "full implementation" of their July 18, 2005 commitments on civilian nuclear cooperation.

Historic accomplishment

"This historic accomplishment will permit our countries to move forward towards our common objective of full civil nuclear energy cooperation between India and the United States and between India and the international community as a whole," the statement said.

Taking questions after talks with the visiting U.S. President George Bush, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the former would now approach Congress for changes in American laws and the NSG for adjustments of its guidelines.

Dr. Singh, who is scheduled to share the separation plan with Parliament, described its preparation as the completion of a phase in the implementation of the July 18, 2005 framework agreement. After the U.S. approached Congress and the NSG, India would turn to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to negotiate safeguards for its civilian facilities. "So, we have made very satisfactory progress," he said.

Official sources said the basis of the separation plan was the Prime Minister's February 27 statement to Parliament. About 65 per cent of India's nuclear power capacity would come under international safeguards. The fast breeder programme, however, would not be subject to safeguards.

The sources said the full implementation of the separation plan would take till 2014. Also, it would be India's sovereign decision to classify as civilian or military any future reactor it might produce.

Supply of fuel

On safeguards in perpetuity, another knotty issue in the negotiations, India would have no problem if these were linked to permanent supplies of nuclear fuel. The Americans had conceded that India would have the right to take corrective measures if fuel supplies were suspended as had happened in the case of Tarapur.

On the negotiation of safeguards with the IAEA, the sources said India would pitch for a middle path. It did not fall in the category of the five recognised nuclear weapons states, nor would it agree to a protocol as a non-nuclear weapons state.

Mr. Bush described Thursday's understanding on civilian nuclear cooperation as a "necessary" agreement. "I'm looking forward to working with the U.S. Congress to change the law... "

He would tell Congress that "we have to get rid of history." The two countries didn't have much of a relationship in the past. "Now, the relationship has changed dramatically."

Times change: Bush

Asked why the U.S. was "rewarding" India for its 1998 nuclear tests and for not signing the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and what kind of message it sent out to other countries, Mr. Bush said, "What the agreement says is that things change, times change."

"I've always said this is going to be a difficult deal for the Prime Minister to sell to his Parliament, but he has shown great courage and leadership. It's [also] difficult for the American President to sell to our Congress. There's some people who just don't want to change with the time," Mr. Bush maintained.

"This agreement is in our [American] interest. I am confident I can sell this to our Congress," he said. India had charted a way forward for other nations to participate in generating nuclear power.

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