Singh, Bush press civilian nuclear button

When completed in a phased manner, the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, negotiated over the last few weeks, will amount to the first formal restructuring of the nuclear non-proliferation regime in the last thirty years to accommodate a new nuclear weapon power.

While the US has agreed to recognise the reality of India’s nuclear weapons, Delhi in turn has agreed to undertake the obligations and best practices that go with being a “responsible nuclear weapon power”.

This new understanding will be implemented in a phased manner by a new joint working group in the next few months.

The Joint statement says that “Bush conveyed his appreciation” over “India’s strong commitment to preventing WMD proliferation and stated that as a responsible state with advanced nuclear technology, India should acquire the same benefits and advantages as other such states”.

The reference to India as “a state with advanced nuclear technology” is the diplomatese for the US accepting India as a nuclear weapon state. The statement commits Bush “to work to achieve full civil nuclear energy cooperation with India as it realises its goals” of promoting energy security.

In pursuit of this objective, Bush would “seek agreement from Congress to adjust US laws and policies, and the United States will work with friends and allies to adjust international regimes to enable full civil nuclear energy cooperation and trade with India, including but not limited to expeditious consideration of fuel supplies for safeguarded nuclear reactors at Tarapur”.

In return for this unprecedented commitment from the United States , India promises, according to the joint statement, “to assume the same responsibilities and practices and acquire the same benefits and advantages of other leading countries with advanced nuclear technology (read nuclear weapon states) such as the United States.

These responsibilities will consist of “identifying and separating civilian and military nuclear facilities and programmes in a phased manner”, placing its civilian nuclear facilities “under IAEA safeguards”, “negotiating an additional protocol” with the IAEA, continue the moratorium on nuclear testing, work with the US for a fissile materials cut off treaty and maintain responsible export controls.

Putting together this grand bargain was not easy. It involved the application of resolute political will on the part of Bush and Singh, both of whom had complex international negotiations to do as they approached a deal that has been elusive for so long.

Well into the early hours of Monday morning, the tension among the negotiators, much like the oppressive humidity in Washington last few days, could be cut with a knife.

The morning brought yet another day of Indian summer in Washington. As Bush and the first lady Laura Bush stepped out to receive Singh amidst impressive pageantry in the South Lawn of the White House, a gentle breeze began to offer some relief from the heat.

At the welcoming ceremony, Bush and Singh signaled that they were entering the talks amidst optimism. By the time they came out to address the gathered press in the East Room of the White House two hours later, the nuclear deal appeared done; well almost.

Seated next to each other in the East Room, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns were still poring over a hand-written sheet.

While the bureaucrats sorted out the remaining wrinkles in the joint statement, the two leaders emphasised that as far they were concerned the deal was final.

An hour after the two leaders ended their press conference, Burns was telling American journalists that the delay in issuing the joint statement was “not a substantive hold up”. Pointing to the complexity of the nuclear negotiations over the weekend and today, Burns said, “we literally have just made some last minute changes in the text”.

On his part, Bush said the completion of the “Next Steps in Strategic Partnership” initiative launched in January 2004 will “further enhance our cooperation in the area of civil nuclear, civil space and high technology commerce”.

Referring to the Joint Statement, Singh said the nuclear issue “has been addressed in a manner which gives me great satisfaction”. He also thanked Bush “for his personal role and interest in facilitating a solution to the complex problem”.

While Singh had some important judgement calls to make in clinching the nuclear deal with the United States, his negotiators worked hard to produce that deal in the last few days.

External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh’s conversations with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice played a key part in sorting out the differences among the officials of the two sides.

Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and Indian Ambassador to the United States Ronnen Sen, Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar had to bring in all their negotiating skill to clinch the historic nuclear deal with the United States.