New Delhi: India and US resume the threads of the nuclear dialogue on Thursday.
Indian foreign secretary Shyam Saran met US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns in New Delhi and held talks on closing a landmark deal that would give India access to previously forbidden civilian nuclear technology.
The dialogue follows an agreement signed between the two countries in July 2005 during a visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Washington.
Under the terms of the accord, India must separate civilian and military nuclear programs in exchange for advanced civilian nuclear technology. It would place its civilian nuclear reactors under International Atomic Energy Agency inspection.
Washington would ask the US Congress to amend laws to allow India access to technology normally reserved for nations that have signed the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.
The deal also commits Washington to persuade countries in the 44-member Nuclear Suppliers Group to lift restrictions on India in the civilian nuclear technology trade.
Burns on Wednesday said that he was confident an agreement would be reached. Saran last month gave Washington a plan to separate India's civil and military nuclear facilities.
In Thursday's talks Burns was expected to give Washington's response to the separation plan.
Last year India voted along with the US against Iran at the IAEA. It has been hinted that if India went along again with the US, it could possibly clinch the nuclear deal in Congress.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has demanded that the government make public its talks with the US on the nuclear issue.
"Government has submitted proposals for separation of civil and military nuclear facilities. This is being discussed in the US. We are not aware of it. We would like the government to make it public," CPI(M) General Secretary, Prakash Karat said.
(With Agency inputs)
Comments
0 comment