Nine years after the path-breaking nuclear deal turned the hitherto estranged democracies into engaged democracies, India and the US have decided to set up an inter-ministerial agency to resolve all issues hindering the fruition of the deal that brought into the global nuclear tent.
The first meeting between India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama held talks in the White House saw the two leaders giving a decisive push to clear the hurdles and implement the trailblazing deal that will bring atomic power from the US-built reactors to the energy-deficient country.
Underlining their commitment to implement fully the US-India civil nuclear cooperation agreement, the two sides agreed to set up an inter-agency Contact Group that will smoothen the hurdles and enable India to get electricity from US-built nuclear power plants in the country.
“They looked forward to advancing the dialogue to discuss all implementation issues, including but not limited to administrative issues, liability, technical issues, and licensing to facilitate the establishment of nuclear parks, including power plants with Westinghouse and GE-Hitachi technology,” said a joint statement issued after the talks.
The nuclear deal, which was signed in 2009, has yet to bring tangible atomic power to India due to the US nuclear companies’ serious reservations over New Delhi’s nuclear liability regime which imposes heavy penalty on suppliers in case of an atomic accident. India needs to clarify its nuclear liability regime, David Mulford, India’s former ambassador to the US, told India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org).
In a clear recognition of India’s non-proliferation credentials, the US agreed to work proactively to spur New Delhi’s phased entry into the top four elite global nuclear groupings, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group. “The President affirmed that India meets MTCR requirements and is ready for membership in the NSG. He supported India’s early application and eventual membership in all four regimes,” said the joint statement.
Author Profile
- Manish Chand is Founder-CEO and Editor-in-Chief of India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) and India and World, a pioneering magazine focused on international affairs. He is CEO/Director of TGII Media Private Limited, an India-based media, publishing, research and consultancy company.
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