The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Left parties’ fear over N-deal baseless: Pallamraju

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Wednesday, Jun 25, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Left parties’ fear over N-deal baseless: Pallamraju

Staff Reporter

India will derive maximum benefit from the deal, he says

Russia and China entered into similar agreements with the USA
Even Kalam described it as a good proposal, he says

Kakinada: The Left parties’ fear that the proposed civilian nuclear deal with the USA would result in its dominance over India was baseless. Critics of the pact should see how Russia and China entered into similar agreements with the USA and yet maintained their nuclear autonomy. It showed that the USA’s intention in promoting the deal was not to hold India’s nuclear programme hostage to its strategic interests. Instead, it was India that would be deriving maximum benefit from the deal, said Union Minister of State for Defence and Kakinada MP M.M Pallam Raju.

Addressing mediapersons here on Tuesday, Mr. Pallam Raju said the support of the USA was crucial to get the India Specific Safeguards Agreement (ISSA) ratified by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) whether it was the USA or any other country with which India wanted to establish nuclear fuel supply linkages. In any case, being a non-signatory of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, India should seek ISSA’s approval by IAEA to approach the Nuclear Suppliers Group, he said.

Mr. Pallam Raju said even former president Abdul Kalam and Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar described the nuclear deal as a good proposal and India had no reason to be skeptical about it, being capable of protecting its interests. There could be no better endorsement of the agreement expected to facilitate augmenting of India’s nuclear power, he added.

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