India not concerned over G-8 declaration on N-issue: Pranab

New Delhi, Jul 13 (PTI) India Monday said it is not
concerned about G-8 developed nations vowing to curb transfer
of some sensitive nuclear technology to non-NPT members,
saying for New Delhi clean waiver given by Nuclear Suppliers'
Group is only relevant aspect for cooperation in the field.

"So far as civil nuclear cooperation is concerned, the
appropriate agency is IAEA and the 45-member NSG. We have got
clean waiver from NSG. We are not deeply concerned (over G-8
declaration)...," Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee
told the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament).

Mukherjee, who was External Affairs Minister when India
got waiver from the NSG and signed India specific safeguards
agreement with IAEA last year, was responding to opposition
members' concern on the G-8 declaration at Italy.

At its summit in L'Aquila last week, the G-8 issued a
declaration in which it underlined that they will curb
transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technology and items
to nations which are not signatories to nuclear
non-proliferation treaty, a decision which may impact India.

Mukherjee said India is not a member of G-8 grouping and
it is only part of an outreach countries group of five
countries.

The issue was raised by senior Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) member Najma Heptulla who wanted a statement from the
government on the development.

Supported by her party colleagues and Left members, she
asked the government whether the G-8 declaration would mean
the extra conditionalities on the waiver given by the NSG.

She wanted to know whether India was consulted before the
declaration and if so whether the government had agreed.

Brinda Karat of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)
asked why the House has been kept in the dark over such an
important issue. PTI