N-deal will not affect FBR: Envoy Sen

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club on the visit of US President George W Bush to India from March 1, Sen said the thinking that the Indo-US nuclear agreement would end up bolstering India’s strategic programme was flawed as enough research was underway in India to keep the programme alive.

Sen, who left for India today, said there would be no change in the three-stage nuclear programme of India as was envisaged by Dr Homi Bhabha.

The first phase includes electricity generation through pressurised heavy water reactors. The FBR programme is the intermediary stage while the final phase is thorium-based reactors.

In an exclusive interview to The Indian Express, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman, Anil Kakodkar, had said that the FBR should not be kept on the civilian list of India’s nuclear installations.

As of now, India has just one FBTR. It is in an advance stage of constructing its prototype FBR. The US is keen that India place this on the civilian list, while the Indian scientist community wants to ensure independence on the issue. Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns will discuss these issues when they meet here on Thursday.

On the nuclear agreement, Sen said India was committed to meet its obligations. He hoped the US would also meet its part of the commitment: that of introducing the related legislation in the Congress and presenting India’s case to the Nuclear Suppliers Group.