Nuclear Thread - 2

[Guest]

<b>Russia ready to sign N-plants deal </b>

New Delhi, Jan. 16: <b>In a complete contradiction of the stated Indian position</b>, Russia has confirmed that it was ready to sign the agreement for the construction of four additional nuclear reactors at the Kudankulam power plant and was ready to pursue, "as far as India was willing and ready", civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that "nothing had prevented Russia and India from signing a four reactor accord within the framework of their international obligations". He did not refer to the official government explanation — that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had not been able to sign the agreement for the four nuclear reactors during his visit to Moscow as the necessary IAEA and NSG clearances were required. This ran counter to the Russian position that the four additional reactors were part of the ongoing agreement between Moscow and New Delhi and did not require fresh clearances at all.

Russian Prime Minister Vikor Zubkov is scheduled to visit New Delhi next month and, although according to the news agencies Mr Lavrov avoided a question on whether the nuclear agreement would be signed during his visit, there are no indications from the government here that it has changed its mind and is willing to go ahead. The refusal of Prime Minister Singh to sign the nuclear reactor deal had come in for sharp criticism here from analysts, politicians and former diplomats who wanted to know why India was being denied the benefits of the Russian offer.

<b>It was pointed out that this agreement came without the shackles of the Hyde Act and the 123 Agreement, with sources maintaining at the time that the agreement was not dependent on the waiver from the IAEA and the NSG. </b>

<b>Mr Lavrov has confirmed this view and is the first Russian leader to point out, since the Prime Minister’s visit to Moscow, that Russia had been more than ready to supply the nuclear reactors and could do so without violating international obligations. </b>It now appears that even the initial media briefings by the senior officials accompanying the Prime Minister to China were off the mark on the nuclear issue. Dr Singh, on the way back, had to admit to reporters that China had not actually said it would support India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.