Bad news for India146;s N-programme

India's space and nuclear programme may get hampered as traditional supplier Russia is wilting under pressure from the Nuclear Suppliers Gro...

India8217;s space and nuclear programme may get hampered as traditional supplier Russia is wilting under pressure from the Nuclear Suppliers Group NSG to prohibit sale of nuclear material and equipment by member nations to countries like India that have a nuclear programme not conforming to International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA safeguards.

Much will depend on the bilateral talks between Russian President Putin and Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee tomorrow. Though Vajpayee8217;s visit to St Petersburg was not to be a bilateral one due to the presence of several heads of states, Russia agreed to the meeting at the last minuteafter hectic efforts by the Indian side.

Russia8217;s rethink on nuclear and space cooperation was conveyed by Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov to Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha during his visit to Moscow in mid-May.

Kasyanov obliquely mentioned that Moscow will not be able to withstand the NSG8217;s opposition to supply of dual-use nuclear and space technology to India. Russia, which had been holding back the 40-member NSG for long, would not be able to continue to do so, he said.

His message was that New Delhi8217;s continued opposition to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty NPT 8216;8216;would hamper Russia8217;s ability to progress on peaceful nuclear cooperation8217;8217;.

New Delhi has been banking, as in the past, on Moscow for finding ways around NSG8217;s stringent guidelines that ban supply of nuclear and space technology. One such support was the agreement on technology transfer for two 1,000-MW light water nuclear reactors at Koodankulam. Despite opposition, Russia went ahead and signed a pact in 1998 saying it was originally signed in 1988 and was therefore outside IAEA regulations, which were outlined in 1992.

Kasyanov informed Sinha about the NSG8217;s new mechanisms which lend transparency to supply conditions, making it difficult to circumvent rules. Russia had no option but to abide by the NSG guidelines and further cooperation between the long-time allies would have to take place under NSG norms, he said.

Story continues below this ad

With the US dragging its feet on partnering India on Trinity issues 8212; high technology commerce, civilian nuclear energy cooperation and space collaboration 8212; New Delhi may have no other option but to go along NSG lines or search for new suppliers for aging and new nuclear energy facilities and civilian space programme.