EUMA brings India into nuclear nonproliferation mainstream: US

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jul 23 (PTI) US has hailed the defence end
user monitoring agreement with India as a "landmark" pact,
saying this could strengthen the global non-proliferation
efforts and brings New Delhi into the mainstream of the
regime.

"We believe that this agreement between the US and
India is important in our overall global non-proliferation
efforts," State Department spokesman Robert Wood told
reporters on Wednesday.

"It is a very significant agreement. We are very
proud," he said.

EUMA was finalised during the recent visit to India by
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"End user means is basically making sure that material
once it is delivered does not go to any other party unless
there is some, sort of, agreement by the US," Wood said.

"We believe that this agreement brought India into the
nuclear non-proliferation mainstream. It is a landmark event,"
he said.

Asked how the US would carry out the verification,
Wood said: "I am not going to get into the details. Those
types of issues will be worked out between the two sides and
in consultation with the IAEA and other players".

Responding to a question on protests by opposition
parties in India on the pact, Wood said the agreement is in
the best interests of both the countries.

"India made a conscious decision to sign this
agreement. India has said it's in its best interests. We
certainly think it's in the interests of the United States,"
Wood said.

"We think it is an overall good agreement. And we will
need to implement the agreement. Those activities are already
under way. But I really just don't have anything to say about,
you know, a specific comment on it," he said. PTI