N-deal hopes take off as Bush boards Air Force One

As US President George W Bush boarded Air Force One at 1.25 pm (Washington time), India and the United States began inching towards a closur...

As US President George W Bush boarded Air Force One at 1.25 pm (Washington time), India and the United States began inching towards a closure on the nuclear deal. What Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran called a “short distance” this evening spanned three themes: number of reactors to be put under safeguards, nature of these safeguards and assurances on fuel supply to the reactors.

Parallel to this, both sides were also working to close the Container Security Initiative under which select Indian ports will be upgraded to check clandestine traffic of nuclear material. And a reciprocal understanding (called Acquisitions and Cross-Services Agreement) allowing “logistical support” to each other’s defence forces.

The focus, however, is on the nuclear deal on which efforts picked up pace after a “positive message” from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh within hours of his statement on India’s separation plan in Parliament last evening.

Story continues below this ad

While differences still remain, the Indian side began preparing a framework for a declaration. Sources said there was constant talk over the phone between key interlocutors before Bush left Washington in an effort to tie up the loose ends. On the telephonic conversation with Rice, Saran said she had conveyed that both countries had come ‘‘close’’ to an agreement and the remaining ‘‘hard work’’ should be done by the interlocutors before Bush meets Singh on Thursday.

She is believed to have conveyed that Bush had backed the deal and wanted differences to be sorted out ahead of his visit.

With the PM spelling out the Indian position on the separation plan, the main issue now was the nature of safeguards agreement India will enter into with the IAEA. ‘‘The issue of the nature of safeguards to be applied to facilities designated civilian also remains pending resolution,’’ is what the PM told Parliament on Monday.

Given that India is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the basic issue is the kind of regime that will apply to India. With bulk of the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) members keen on India voluntarily putting some of its civilian reactors under safeguards in-perpetuity, New Delhi wants that such a commitment by India must be reciprocated by way of concrete assurances on fuel supply and related issues by the US.

Story continues below this ad

The issue of assurances is the second aspect on which negotiations are still to be closed. Singh himself had pointed out in Parliament that the US is yet to fulfil its commitment on fuel for Tarapur. The July 18 joint statement had clearly stated that ‘‘in the meantime’’ US will make efforts to facilitate fuel supplies for Tarapur.

However, Saran today explained that the US side had subsequently expressed inability to move on the subject before amending its laws. India is keen that once there is an agreement on the nature of safeguards, US should bind itself to reciprocal assurances so that Indian civilian reactors do not face fuel supply problems in the future. Much of these doubts arise from the Indian experience of being on the receiving end of the non-proliferation regime. It is precisely this element of trust which is being tested through these negotiations.

The final important issue is that of number of reactors to be placed under safeguards. The 65 per cent formulation stated by the PM translates into nine of the 15 currently operational reactors. But there is still the issue of future indigenous reactors under construction. The difference here is not large, possibly just one or two reactors which officials feel can be bridged given the positive response from Rice to the PM’s statement. The scene is now set for Bush to come and take the final step on closing the agreement.