In a further reassurance to India on the nuclear energy deal, the United States on Monday said the strategic fuel reserve Washington will help create for India under the agreement would ensure that fuel supplies to civilian reactors would not be disrupted even in the event of New Delhi carrying out a nuclear test. “US will help India in creating a strategic fuel reserve. We have also pledged to engage other countries in the supply business (of nuclear fuel) to provide fuel for the civilian reactors,” US ambassador to India David Mulford told reporters when asked what would happen in the event of India conducting a nuclear test.Mulford said the issue of nuclear test was not mentioned in the recently concluded 123 Agreement between the two countries as the deal was exclusively about civilian nuclear energy. “We are assuming and operating on the assumption that the situation (of India needing to carry out a nuclear test) would not arise. US laws are very clear on this (nuclear testing by a country) and India is aware of those laws. The Right to Return (of nuclear fuel) according to US laws is clearly preserved in the deal,” Mulford said in a teleconference with Indian journalists from Wisconsin, where he is holidaying.But India’s relationship with Iran would be watched very carefully, he said.“India’s relationship with Iran did not figure into the negotiations. But the relationship with Iran will be very closely scrutinised by the US Congress,” he said.Mulford also tried to reassure India that there would not be any problem in getting the nod of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) on the Agreement. “We have committed with India to seek the compliance of the NSG on this agreement. Till now the NSG in general is in favour of the agreement. We are confident that we can move this forward at NSG,” he said when asked about the possibility of a country like China trying to veto this agreement at the NSG. Expressing satisfaction with the deal, Mulford said it enjoyed the acceptance of a broad spectrum of opinions in both countries. “Something like this is never going to be perfect for all shades of opinion. But the main thing to look at is whether this deal is going to work or not. And on that count we are quite confident that it is going to work,” he said. “We would hope India would accomplish IAEA safeguards successfully, may be in the next one or two months, and get this across the NSG.”
