The Hindu : Front Page : Trying to operationalise deal: Pranab

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Wednesday, Jun 04, 2008
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Trying to operationalise deal: Pranab

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: It is difficult to indicate a timeframe to operationalise the civilian nuclear deal with the United States, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Mr. Mukherjee said three more stages had to be crossed before the question of operationalising the deal arose. The approval of the text of India-specific safeguards by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), making India-specific amendments in the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) guidelines and the ratification of the 123 Agreement were the stages. Conclusion of the agreement was the first stage and it was over.

The text of India-specific safeguards had been finalised. “It has been frozen. We are to get the approval of the Board of the IAEA.” Only when the amendments were made to the NSG guidelines could the 45 member-countries of the Group enter into nuclear trade. As for the ratification of the 123 Agreement, the U.S. Congress had initialled it.

“We are trying,” was the response of Mr. Mukherjee to repeated queries whether the deal would be operationalised before the end of the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance government.

He said the UPA-Left Committee on the nuclear deal would meet shortly.

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