07-30-2008, 01:15 AM
<b>US draft on NSG exemption falls short of expectations</b>
30 Jul 2008, 0045 hrs IST, Indrani Bagchi,TNN
NEW DELHI: The NSG exemption for India's nuclear deal was never going to be easy. While the US is perfectly aware about India's insistence on a no-strings-attached exemption, the draft that America has privately shown this week is far short of India's expectations, said sources. A final draft will be circulated later, but it can be accepted by India only after "lots of work", said sources, who were privy to the US document.
India has been very clear about the nature of the NSG exemption â it has to be "unconditional". It has made this clear to US president George Bush. But the US is still trying to push the envelope on non-proliferation concerns, which might make it easier to rope in more countries. India is very clear that it does not want to travel down that road.
In fact, given the circumstances, India wants the US to be a lot more realistic about the goals at NSG. While India will not be present at the NSG meeting, India wants the decision to be "implementable" â both from the recipient's (India) and suppliers' interests. That is, supplier countries would not want conditions attached when they are contemplating nuclear commerce with India, which would make it difficult as well. Therefore, conditions would certainly be resisted by large suppliers like France and Russia, said Indian sources.
Concerns remain and in large doses â particularly, if China, about which India remains deeply sceptical, uses other countries to muddy the waters, while keeping its hands clean. Pakistan has already attempted to do so at the IAEA, but has been persuaded to pull back by the US.
But while few officials expect nasty surprises to be sprung on India, the countries that worry India most are the ones that have little stake in India or nuclear commerce with India and remain wedded to non-proliferation ideals. These countries include New Zealand, which is facing elections later this year and where nuclear issues are close to the heart. Or Austria, which wants to have little to do with nuclear power.
Ultimately though, if the objectors remain only a few, they can be persuaded, said sources.
However, after literally flying to all corners of the globe, officials believe that India had reached a "satisfactory" level of comfort with most countries. Indian diplomats have adopted a pretty brutal approach, said western diplomats. With most countries, India was leveraging its bilateral relations for their nod on the nuclear deal, a sort of "with us or against us" approach. Thus, even if some countries have residual reservations on the deal, India is hoping the strength of bilateral relations will see them through.
30 Jul 2008, 0045 hrs IST, Indrani Bagchi,TNN
NEW DELHI: The NSG exemption for India's nuclear deal was never going to be easy. While the US is perfectly aware about India's insistence on a no-strings-attached exemption, the draft that America has privately shown this week is far short of India's expectations, said sources. A final draft will be circulated later, but it can be accepted by India only after "lots of work", said sources, who were privy to the US document.
India has been very clear about the nature of the NSG exemption â it has to be "unconditional". It has made this clear to US president George Bush. But the US is still trying to push the envelope on non-proliferation concerns, which might make it easier to rope in more countries. India is very clear that it does not want to travel down that road.
In fact, given the circumstances, India wants the US to be a lot more realistic about the goals at NSG. While India will not be present at the NSG meeting, India wants the decision to be "implementable" â both from the recipient's (India) and suppliers' interests. That is, supplier countries would not want conditions attached when they are contemplating nuclear commerce with India, which would make it difficult as well. Therefore, conditions would certainly be resisted by large suppliers like France and Russia, said Indian sources.
Concerns remain and in large doses â particularly, if China, about which India remains deeply sceptical, uses other countries to muddy the waters, while keeping its hands clean. Pakistan has already attempted to do so at the IAEA, but has been persuaded to pull back by the US.
But while few officials expect nasty surprises to be sprung on India, the countries that worry India most are the ones that have little stake in India or nuclear commerce with India and remain wedded to non-proliferation ideals. These countries include New Zealand, which is facing elections later this year and where nuclear issues are close to the heart. Or Austria, which wants to have little to do with nuclear power.
Ultimately though, if the objectors remain only a few, they can be persuaded, said sources.
However, after literally flying to all corners of the globe, officials believe that India had reached a "satisfactory" level of comfort with most countries. Indian diplomats have adopted a pretty brutal approach, said western diplomats. With most countries, India was leveraging its bilateral relations for their nod on the nuclear deal, a sort of "with us or against us" approach. Thus, even if some countries have residual reservations on the deal, India is hoping the strength of bilateral relations will see them through.