The Hindu : Front Page : Nuclear deal will not fall through, says Russian envoy

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Saturday, Mar 31, 2007
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Nuclear deal will not fall through, says Russian envoy

Amit Baruah

Vyacheslav Trubnikov

NEW DELHI: The India-United States civilian nuclear deal will not fall through, Russian Ambassador Vyacheslav Trubnikov said here at a press conference to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and the erstwhile Soviet Union on April 15, 1947.

Responding to questions, Mr. Trubnikov stated there was a desire on both the American and Indian sides to conclude their ongoing negotiations on the civilian nuclear deal based on the July 18, 2005 joint statement and the March 2, 2006 separation plan.

Asked whether India had chosen not to sign an inter-governmental agreement to set up additional units in the under-construction Koodankulam nuclear plant during President Vladimir Putin's visit to New Delhi, the Ambassador replied that it was a mutual decision to delay the bilateral accord.

Mr. Trubnikov said the signing of the inter-governmental agreement between India and Russia had merely been postponed and would include not just additional units for Koodankulam, but new atomic power plants at other locations in India as well.

Asked to comment on newspaper reports on the issue, the Ambassador confirmed that Moscow did not want to put New Delhi in a "delicate position" given the sensitive negotiations it was having with the U.S. on the nuclear deal.

"It is important that the [Indo-U.S.] negotiations are successful," he said, adding that India's case would have to clear the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) as well. In his assessment, the situation in the NSG was not so positive for India and New Delhi would have to fight on many fronts.

Clearly, the Russian understanding is that the successful conclusion of the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear deal and negotiating the NSG hurdle successfully is an absolute must for Moscow's own intention to enhance peaceful nuclear cooperation with New Delhi.

Mr. Trubnikov said that Russia had been trying to hammer out a compromise arrangement with Tehran on its nuclear programme, but Iran "bailed out" of an agreement it had apparently agreed to with Moscow some six months ago.

Asserting that Russia was against nuclear weapons' proliferation, Mr. Trubnikov maintained that Moscow had been trying to persuade Iran to be more cooperative in its relationship with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "Unfortunately, the position of Iran is unstable," the Russian envoy maintained.

Asked if the U.S. might attack Iran, he replied, "I do not see a serious legal basis to attack any other country in the world."

Asked why Russia had voted to take the Iranian nuclear issue to the United Nations' Security Council when it wanted the matter to remain with the IAEA, the envoy claimed that the IAEA still had a role to play.

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