G-8 resolution not legally binding: Krishna

New Delhi, July 31 (PTI) The Indian government on Friday
said the G-8 resolution on curbing transfer of enrichment and
reprocessing technology to non-NPT signatory countries was
"not a legally binding document" and hoped individual nations
will implement civil nuclear agreements with India on
bilateral basis.

India's External Affairs Minister S M Krishna also
allayed concerns over the End User Monitoring (EUM)
arrangement reached with the US, saying it does not limit
India's "sovereign choice of whether, where and what weapons
we choose to buy for our national defence".

Touching upon the Indo-US relations during his reply to a
debate on the working of his ministry in the Rajya Sabha
(Upper House of Indian Parliament), he said the ties have been
transformed in the recent years and signing of the civil
nuclear deal last year was a major development in this regard.

Referring to members' concern over the recent G-8
resolution in L'Aquila summit that spoke about putting curbs
on transfer of ENR technology, he said it was a "political
statement and not a legally binding document".

Krishna said the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG),
which had granted India-specific clean waiver, has taken no
decision in this direction.

"It is India's expectation that our international
partners in civil nuclear cooperation will implement the
bilateral agreements that we have entered into," he said.

Krishna said India has been in regular touch with NSG
over the issue.

An India-NSG troika (past, current and future Chairman)
was held on May 11 during which New Delhi made known its
concerns, he said adding that the NSG delegation said it would
convey those concerns to the Group.

Responding to apprehensions of members over EUMA with the
US, he said all governments have arrangements to ensure that
defence related weapons and equipment that were transferred
did not fall into wrong hands and were only for legitimate
use.

"We too do so for our exports of such materials", he
said.

The agreement provides for "joint consultations on
modalities and in no way compromises our sovereignty, or
limits our sovereign choice of whether, where and what weapons
we choose to buy for our national defence," he said.

"The arrangements that we have agreed are fully in
consonance with our sovereignty and dignity", Krishna said.

Hitting back at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has
said that the agreement would compromise India's sovereignty,
Krishna said successive governments have entered into such
arrangements with supplier states including the US. PTI