India Withholds IAEA Safeguards Agreement

Indian leaders are anxious to disclose a nuclear inspections agreement they have reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency, but have been tied by an informal agreement to release the document at the same time the agency does, the Indo-Asian News Service reported today (see GSN, March 18).

The issue caused some consternation Monday among critics of a planned U.S.-Indian nuclear trade deal who were shown only excerpts of the inspections agreement and then not allowed to keep them.

Signing the inspections agreement, which would enable the agency to monitor India’s civilian nuclear activities, is a key hurdle to implementing the trade deal, which would also require the lifting of key international trade rules and the approval of the U.S. Congress.

First, though, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh must overcome opposition to the deal from key supporters of his ruling parliamentary coalition who have threatened early elections if Singh signs the inspection agreement without the critics’ approval.

A Monday meeting between the critics and some of Singh’s officials resulted in no agreement (Indo-Asian News Service/Sify.com, March 19).

Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee was scheduled to travel to Washington yesterday to report that he would need more time to overcome the domestic opposition, the London Telegraph reported.

India badly wants the trade deal, which would give the nation access to U.S. nuclear technology and materials, but has so far been unwilling to risk early elections.

“We need energy if we are to continue to grow at this rate and we need cleaner fuel,” said one Indian official.  “We also need to break through the technology denial regimes that presently surround us” (David Blair, London Telegraph, March 19).

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