Washington: Asserting that United States' acceptance of India's nuclear `separation plan' was ``a recognition of our security concerns,'' Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said the designation of eight of its 22 nuclear reactors for military purposes and thus out of the IAEA ambit was to meet ``security needs.''

In an informal chat with reporters here on Saturday, Mr. Sibal said he had sought to explain this to everyone he met during his visit to the U.S., including Congressmen, Senators, administration officials and members of the scientific community.

The India-U.S. civilian nuclear initiative is ``neither about non-proliferation nor proliferation, it is simply about helping India overcome its energy needs for peaceful purposes,'' he said.

``If our record as being a country outside the NPT is better than the record of countries that are part of the NPT, I don't see how anybody can object to our being concerned about our security,'' Mr. Sibal said, adding ``just as we understand the security concerns of the U.S., so does Washington realise India's security needs.''

Bipartisan support

On his meetings with Senators and Congressmen, Mr. Sibal said he found bipartisan support for the deal, which would be ratified by the U.S. Congress without any hitch, especially after the testimony provided by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Ms. Rice, during her testimony, said the pact would help satisfy the needs of India that had ``managed its nuclear technology responsibly.''

Praising her testimony, Mr. Sibal said: ``The nature of the testimony, the boldness of her statement, the candour and transparent nature of whatever she said laid the road map as to why the U.S. wants this kind of arrangement with India and not with others.''

He said the Indian-American community had an exceptionally important role to play in this whole new enterprise. "...therefore I have been urging them to use all their might and use all possible means... only fair not foul... to make sure that this deal goes through,'' he said. ``...I can assure you that the Indian-American community's response has been hugely encouraging.''

He said one of the main purposes of his visit to Washington was to meet John Marburger, Chief Scientific Adviser to President George W Bush. Their discussions were on setting up a bi-national commission to ensure that collaboration in science and technology moved forward.

``We have decided on a road map in which we want to take an inventory of all the science and technology collaborations that are taking place between India and the U.S. whether it is at the National Science Foundation, at the university level with our institutions or at the National Institute of Health and how to energise both sides to increase the scale and the level of that collaboration,'' he said.

Mr. Sibal will be attending the Biotechnology Industry Organisation's Convention (BIO-2006) in Chicago from April 9-12. The convention is the largest gathering of biotechnology leaders in the world, attracting more than 18,000 participants, and featuring over 180 sessions, almost 1,000 speakers, and over 1,600 exhibitors. — UNI

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