The Hindu : National : Manmohan had assured V.P. Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 06, 2006

National

National

Manmohan had assured V.P. Singh

Special Correspondent

"National interests will not be harmed"

NEW DELHI: A day before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met the visiting U.S. President, George W. Bush, he assured the former Prime Minister, V.P. Singh, that the Government was fully committed to implementing in letter and in spirit the July 2005 statement.

Replying to a letter from Mr. V.P. Singh, Dr. Singh said the Government was fully "conscious of the imperative need that nothing should be done that can harm our national security interests or cast a shadow on the requirements of our Minimum Credible Nuclear Deterrent," while negotiating with the U.S.

"Further, there will be no negative effect on research and development in the nuclear field nor any hindrance to the autonomous three-stage development of our nuclear programme, which includes the use of our vast thorium resources," the Prime Minister had said.

He assured Mr. V.P. Singh that the Government was committed to undertaking the broadest possible consultations and had considered the views of the Department of Atomic Energy and the Atomic Energy Commission.

In his letter, Mr. V.P. Singh had pointed out that India's concerns in the area of nuclear energy needed to be dictated by geo-political considerations. India's principal national interest and strategic concern should be the development of indigenous technological and manufacturing capability based on its thorium reserves, he said.

"Considering India's inadequate fossil fuels, save high ash coal, the thorium based nuclear power plants can ensure rapid economic development. Import of nuclear plants through the uranium route may bring us back to needless dependence since India does not possess adequate indigenous resources," the former Prime Minister said.

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