The Hindu : National : “India cannot import reactors without fuel supply assurance”

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Sunday, Sep 14, 2008
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“India cannot import reactors without fuel supply assurance”

T.S. Subramanian

CHENNAI: M.R. Srinivasan, the former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), asserted on Saturday that unless India had assurances from the United States on the nuclear fuel supply as contained in the 123 agreement, “I cannot see how we can have any nuclear commerce for the import of reactors from the U.S.”

Dr. Srinivasan, who is now a member of the AEC, referred to U.S. President George W. Bush’s message to the Congress that American commitment on the uninterrupted supply of nuclear fuel to India was not legally binding.

India’s understanding was that the U.S.’ assurances on the fuel supply under the 123 agreement were obligatory. India could not understand the differentiation between the legal obligations and the political obligations.

“Unfortunately, this is almost reminiscent of the Tarapur arrangement where an international agreement was not fulfilled by the U.S. on the ground that it was prevented from doing so under its domestic laws. Our friends in the U.S. must understand that India cannot import reactors without satisfactory assurance of fuel supply.”

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