New Delhi
11 July 2009
A G-8 statement on non-proliferation, which talks about curbing transfer of
enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technology to non-NPT signatories such as India,
has revived debate on whether the NSG waiver and the subsequent Indo-US nuclear deal
enables India to engage in "full" civil nuclear cooperation with the world.
The relevant portion of the July 9 L'Aquila Statement on Non-Proliferation reads: "To
reduce the proliferation risks associated with the spread of enrichment and reprocessing
facilities, equipment and technology, we welcome the progress that continues to be
made by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on mechanisms to strengthen controls on
transfers of such enrichment and reprocessing items and technology.
"While noting that the NSG has not yet reached consensus on this issue, we agree that
the NSG discussions have yielded useful and constructive proposals contained in the
NSG's "clean text" developed at the 20 November 2008 Consultative Group meeting.
"Pending completion of work in the NSG, we agree to implement this text on a national
basis in the next year. We urge the NSG to accelerate its work and swiftly reach
consensus this year to allow for global implementation of a strengthened mechanism on
transfers of enrichment and reprocessing facilities, equipment, and technology."
A section of the nuclear scientific fraternity feels India might have reasons to be
concerned. The US Department of State's answers to 45 questions raised by the US
Congress about the India-US nuclear deal, which was made public by US House of
Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman last year,
contradicted New Delhi's interpretation of some key clauses of the India-US nuclear deal.
A Washington Post report in September 2008 quoted an unnamed senior US official as
saying that in the US' discussions with the NSG members about how to handle
enrichment and reprocessing, it was made clear that "nobody had any plans to transfer
such technologies to India in the foreseeable future".
The article also said: "... it (ban) was another factor in persuading countries such as
Ireland, New Zealand and Austria to end their effort to write such trade restrictions into
the waiver for India."
For its part, New Delhi insists it possesses ENR technology and is therefore not unduly
worried yet, at least not till the 45-member NSG agrees to the G-8 proposal.
An NSG delegation was in New Delhi as recently as May for a bilateral meeting but New
Delhi has remained tight-lipped about the issues that were discussed. All that the
Ministry of External Affairs said in a May 11 press release was that the "meeting was
held in the context of the decision by the NSG in September 2008 enabling its members
to engage in full civil nuclear cooperation with India."
"The discussions were positive and forward looking and included an exchange of views
on future cooperation in different areas," the release added.
ENR technology is crucial to India's three-stage nuclear programme.
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