India expects countries to honour N-deal commitments

New Delhi, Aug 10 (PTI) India was on Wednesday unperturbed
by Nuclear Suppliers Group's decision to strengthen guidelines
on enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technology transfer,
saying it expected its bilateral agreements on full
implementation of nuclear deals to be fully honoured without
any pre-conditions.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna asserted in the Lok
Sabha that the 46-nation NSG had granted "clean" exemption to
India "knowing fully well" that it is not a signatory to the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and hoped the
international atomic order will "continue to evolve in India's
favour".
He also underlined that India has "full mastery" of the
entire nuclear fuel cycle, including ENR technology and that
its transfer has "no bearing" on India's upfront entitlement
to reprocess foreign origin spent fuel and the use of such
fuel in India's own safeguard facilities.
"We are absolutely clear that as far as India is
concerned, the basis of our international civil nuclear
cooperation remains as contained in the special exemption from
the NSG guidelines given to India on September 6, 2008,"
Krishna said in a suo motu statement laid on the table.
Seeking to allay members' concerns over the issue after
NSG's decision in June to strengthen guidelines on ENR
technology transfer, he said, "As far as we are concerned, the
September 2008 decision is the basis and overarching framework
that governs cooperation in civil nuclear matters between
India and the NSG."
Noting that the issue is the "full implementation of that
understanding", he said, "This is what we expect and our major
partners are committed to."
Krishna said not every NSG member has the ability to
undertake transfer of enrichment and reprocessing items and
technology to other countries.
"We expect that those that do and have committed to do so
in bilateral agreements with India, will live up to their
legal commitments," he said.
Emphasising that there was "no question" of India joining
the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon State, the External Affairs
Minister said, "I would also like reassure honourable members
that we will not accept pre-conditions for transfer of
enrichment and reprocessing items and technology."
He said the agreements reached for permitting
international civil nuclear cooperation with India contain
commitments on both sides.
"We expect all NSG members to honour their commitments as
reflected in the 2008 NSG statement and our bilateral
cooperation agreements," he said, while noting that that
statement contained reciprocal commitments and actions by both
sides relating to international civil nuclear cooperation.
Referring to NSG decision of June 23-24, Krishna said it
was that of the grouping and India is not a party to the
decision as it is not its member.
He cited the statements issued by several of India's
partners, including the US, France and Russia, in which they
clarified that NSG's decision would in "no way detract" from
or affect the exception granted to India in 2008.
"I am confident that the international nuclear order will
continue to evolve in India's favour. We are poised to emerge
as one of the major nuclear countries in the world, with a
large and diversified nuclear industry," Krishna said.
Pointing out that India is engaged in discussions with
foreign companies to expand its nuclear energy programme, he
said, "We expect our international partners to fully honour
their commitments in this regard."