NSG defers action on nuclear deal

At the meeting, Britain, France, and Canada were generally supportive, but Sweden asked “hard questions” and Japan seemed wary of the India deal, officials said.

The US has for nearly 30 years led the global fight to deny India access to nuclear technology. But on July 18 this year, US President George W. Bush jettisoned this approach, and his administration is now working on winning effective international and domestic recognition of India as the sixth nuclear-weapons state, along with the US, Britain, France, Russia and China.

US officials say the broad aim is to complete the approval process before Bush visits New Delhi for a summit in early 2006.

However, there are doubts about whether the US Congress—where members of both parties have expressed skepticism—will act by then.

In addition, the next scheduled NSG session is in May, so getting that group to approve the rules change before Bush’s visit to India would require a special meeting, officials said. “I don’t think it’s going to be able to be done by the summit. It’s much too difficult and sensitive an issue,” a second senior US official said.

Several factors are at play in the timetable for the deal. The second official said it is important for Congress to act before the Nuclear Suppliers Group, so other nations could not beat American companies to the lucrative Indian market.

However, US officials want to ensure India soon implements its part of the nuclear deal, including separating military and civilian nuclear programmes, to help ease doubts in the US Congress.

Also, Washington wants India to keep supporting US and EU over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. A delay by the suppliers group could hold out a carrot for India to stay in line over Iran. —Reuters

Iran likely to escape UN referral, say Western diplomats

BERLIN: The International Atomic Energy Agency will most likely not refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council when the UN agency’s board meets next month, diplomats said. “The approach is not to refer Iran to the Security Council at the moment,” an official from one of the so-called EU3 countries said. “The idea is not to provoke Iran.”

One of the reasons, diplomats say, for the decision to back off from a Security Council referral next month is that Tehran has improved cooperation with agency inspectors. After a recent trip to Tehran, IAEA safeguards inspector Olli Heinonen reported “his visit was positive and access was easier”, a Western diplomat said. Another EU diplomat said Tehran appeared to be working hard to avoid a Council referral and warned that being too confrontational with Iran could be counterproductive. “If it’s significant cooperation, then I would imagine people would want to think very carefully about whether to do anything that would upset that cooperation,” he said. —Reuters