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Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007
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Not the end of the road: Manmohan

Sandeep Dikshit

‘Efforts on for consensus on nuclear deal’

— Photo: AP

FLORAL TRIBUTES: German Chancellor Angela Merkel pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Maintaining that the government remained committed to the civil nuclear deal with the United States, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said, “We have not reached the end of the road” even if there was some delay in operationalising it.

Addressing a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel here, Dr. Singh said efforts were on to evolve a broad-based consensus with the allies and supporting parties.

He, however, refused to “speculate” whether the deal would go through in its present format even if there was delay.

“We are a democracy and in a democracy ultimately you have to take along all those who are supporting you along with you. I wouldn’t speculate on the [consequences of] delay. If there is some delay, we have not reached the end of the road,” he said to a question on the fate of the deal in the event of India not moving quickly to operationalise it.

“We have run into some problems domestically and are trying to resolve them. As far as the government is concerned, we remain committed to see that this process is carried forward. We need to evolve a broad-based consensus and efforts are on in this direction,” the Prime Minister told Dr. Merkel during one-to-one talks. New Delhi viewed the 123 agreement signed with the U.S. as an “honourable deal, good for India, good for the world and good for the cause of non-proliferation.”

Dr. Merkel said Germany, which would soon head the Nuclear Suppliers Group, was interested in India being co-opted into the international nuclear energy regime to the “best [possible] extent.” Further progress would be possible if India agreed to abide by International Atomic Energy Agency rules and, once the system was in place for India, both countries “could do a lot together in the peaceful use of nuclear power.”

On the bid by Germany and India to secure a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, both leaders spoke with circumspection. Dr. Singh said there were some “hurdles” to their joint attempt with Japan and Brazil, while Dr. Merkel hoped that the “waning” spirit of reform among member-countries would again gain momentum.

“We are convinced that if the UNSC is to reflect the realities of the 21st Century there is need for reforms. We have received increasing support for UNSC reforms but there are still hurdles. Our two countries agreed to work together in this area,” said Dr. Singh.

Dr. Merkel was non-committal on the persistent Indian demand for a liberalised visa regime but said Germany would like to avoid a situation in which Indian entrepreneurs wanting to invest in the country were hindered by visa denial. Promising to work closely with New Delhi, she pointed out that Germany was liberal with visas for students and Indians being trained in German companies.

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