The Hindu : Front Page : Detailing still to be done: Menon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 02, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Detailing still to be done: Menon

B. Muralidhar Reddy and Sandeep Dikshit

COLOMBO: Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon described the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approval as a “big step” but said a “fair amount of detailing is still to be done in this process before you actually come to the stage of placing a commercial order.”

In response to questions at a news conference on how confident India was in obtaining an exemption from the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG), Mr. Menon said, “we will give it our best effort, just as we did to each stage of the process. We will try our best to move it through the next steps in future.”

Asked what kind of exemption India expected from the NSG, Mr. Menon said: “We will work with NSG members, including the U.S., to get a clean and unconditional exemption. Once the NSG clears it, we look forward to entering into specific detailed agreements that we need to do with partner countries.” The agreements could be like the 123 with the U.S. which needs U.S. Congressional approval or direct agreements with countries willing to work with India in this area.

“And then after that the next step is actual contracts for material equipment and reactors etc. So there is a fair amount of detailing still to be done in this process before you actually come to the stage of placing a commercial order. What we are doing is creating an international enabling environment within which such transfers can take place. One big step has been taken today in having a safeguards agreement which is an umbrella agreement into which we can bring the various arrangements we will enter into with our partners. The NSG would be the next big step,” he said.

The Foreign Secretary said: “We have been hearing that a meeting of the NSG plenary has been called on August 21 and 22. It will consider the exemption for India.

“But we are not in the room. We are not NSG members. But the fact is we believe this meeting has been called and will consider the exemption for India,” he added.

Ties with Pakistan

He said relations between India and Pakistan have been affected due to ‘recent events’. “The relations are certainly what they were in the last four years. That is why we are talking to the Pakistan side,” Mr. Menon said in response to a question.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who arrived here in the afternoon to take part in the SAARC summit scheduled on Saturday and Sunday, is slated to have a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani.

A whole range of issues including the recent violations of the ceasefire across the line of control (LoC), the Kabul embassy bombing and the measures required to sustain the composite dialogue process would come up for review.

Pakistan has been told “what they have to do” on steps to improve the atmosphere for strengthening relations.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page