Govt allays concerns over NSG decision on ENR tech transfer

New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI) Indian government Thursday
allayed conerns over Nuclear Suppliers Group's decision to
strengthen guidelines on enrichment and reprocessing (ENR)
technology transfer, saying it will not affect India's
bilateral nuclear deals and hoped international partners will
fully honour their commitment on the issue.
"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,"
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said in a statement laid
in the Rajya Sabha(Upper House of Indian Parliament).
Allaying concerns of several Members of Parliament(MPs),
he said the exemption accords a special status to India and it
was granted knowing fully well that India is not a signatory
to the Nuclear Non-Prolifiration Treaty.
He said the September 2008 decision is the basis and
overarching framework that governs cooperation in civil
nuclear matters between India and NSG.
"The issue is the full implementation of that
understsanding. That is what we expect and our major partners
are committed too," he said.
Krishna expressed hope the international nuclear order
will "continue to evolve in India's favour" and that it is
poised to emerge as one of the major nuclear countries in the
world.
"India is committed to full international civil nuclear
cooperation for the development needs of our couuntry and is
engaged in discussions with foreign companies to expand our
nuclear energy programme," Krishna said.
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.