EU “Closely Watching” Indian Safeguards Talks

European Union officials said yesterday they were “closely watching” discussions between India and the U.N. nuclear watchdog over a safeguards agreement required to implement a civilian nuclear trade deal with the United States, the Press Trust of India reported (see GSN, Nov. 26).

EU nations that are part of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a 45-nation organization of nuclear exporters, will individually decide whether to support an exemption permitting nuclear sales to India, which has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

“The European Union is committed to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and it is in this context we are following with great interest the discussion India is having with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” said Daneile Smadja, ambassador and head of the Delegation of the European Commission to India.

Smadja acknowledged India’s interest in civilian nuclear trade to help meet its increasing energy demands.

“We have to wait for negotiations with the IAEA.  We will work on a common position.  We are trying to reach the maximum consensus and arrive at a common European position on this issue,” said Luis Mendes, the IAEA envoy for Portugal, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

Smadja and Mendes spoke to reporters in the lead-up to the India-EU summit scheduled to take place Friday in New Delhi (Press Trust of India/BBC Monitoring, Nov. 27).

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