Nuclear deal in mind, US removes curbs on BARC and two others

“The removal of Indian entities Indian Rare Earths, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) will support US foreign policy objectives by reducing barriers to advanced energy cooperation, including joint research and development and science and technology cooperation, towards shared energy security needs and goals,” the BIS said in a statement.

“The US and India share a commitment to advancing peaceful nuclear cooperation and associated research and development activities, with strengthened science and technology cooperation over the past several years that has benefitted both countries and their partner countries around the world,” it said.

“The removal of the three Indian entities will enable closer cooperation between the US and India to secure more resilient critical minerals and clean energy supply chains… This action aligns with and supports the overall ambition and strategic direction of the US-India partnership,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration Matthew Borman.

The decision came on a day when the US Department of Commerce added 11 Chinese entities to its ‘Entity List’ “for activities contrary to US national security and foreign policy interests”.

Speaking at IIT-Delhi on January 6, Sullivan, who met PM Narendra Modi, NSA Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his visit, had signalled the removal of restrictions. The Indian Express had reported that BARC, IGCAR and IREL — all government-run institutions — may be removed from the US ‘Entity List’.

“Although former (US) President (George W) Bush and former Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh laid out a vision of civil nuclear cooperation nearly 20 years ago, we have yet to fully realise it… the Biden administration has determined that it is past time to take the next major step in cementing this partnership,” Sullivan had said.

“So today, I can announce that the US is now finalising the necessary steps to remove longstanding regulations that have prevented civil nuclear cooperation between India’s leading nuclear entities and US companies. The formal paperwork will be done soon, but this will be an opportunity to turn the page on some of the frictions of the past and create opportunities for entities that have been on restricted lists in the US to come off those lists and enter into deep collaboration with the US, with our private sector, with our scientists and technologists, to move civil nuclear cooperation forward together,” he had said.

That the announcement, and its implementation, comes just days before US President-elect Donald Trump assumes office is significant, as the 2008 Indo-US civilian nuclear deal has not been operationalised in more than a decade-and-a-half. This move allows the Trump administration to move forward in operationalising the nuclear deal.