New Delhi
30 October 2007
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday made it abundantly
clear that his government wants to take the proposed India-United States civil nuclear
cooperation agreement to its logical conclusion.
He told a joint news conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel at
Hyderabad House that the UPA Government remains "committed" to see that the nuclear
deal is carried forward on the basis of a broadbased consensus.
"The agreement we have signed with the US is an honourable deal, [it is] good for India,
good for the world and good for the cause of non-proliferation," Dr Singh told a German
reporter who wanted to know whether the issue came up for discussion.
"We are committed to see that the process is carried forward," he said matter-of-factly.
The Prime Minister said that he had had a very fruitful discussion on the nuclear deal
with Chancellor Merkel. He told her that the 123 Agreement has been "signed" with the
US but his government has run into some problems domestically.
"We are trying to resolve [the problems]," he said. "Efforts are on in that direction."
In response to another question, this time by an Indian journalist, on the uncertainty
surrounding the next steps for operationalising the nuclear deal, Prime Minister Singh
reiterated that efforts are on to evolve a broadbased, national consensus.
"We are a democracy and in a democracy, ultimately you have to take [along] all those
who are supporting you," he told the reporter who asked him whether he was worried that
the nuclear deal would suffer on account of the delay.
Dr Singh hastened to add that he would not like to speculate on the "consequences" of
either going ahead with the nuclear deal or putting it on hold indefinitely. "I would not like
to speculate what would be consequences if there is some delay," he said.
"We have not reached the end of the road," he added cryptically.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks on Tuesday seemed to be more in line with
his August 13, 2007 statement in the Lok Sabha on civil nuclear energy cooperation with
the US, in which he said that the finalisation of an India-specific safeguards agreement
with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be "taken up shortly".
The remarks were unlike his poetic intervention in August this year, when he quoted from
English romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind", to tell reporters
at a joint news conference with former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe that "if winter
comes, can spring be far behind?"
For her part, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that it was in Germany's interest to
have India inside the international non-proliferation regime but she asserted that a lot
would depend on the outcome of the safeguards negotiations with the IAEA.
Ms Merkel said that Berlin would be eager to do business with New Delhi if India abides
by the IAEA rules. "If India makes progress on the IAEA [talks], then India and Germany
could do a lot together," she said.
She said that Germany welcomes Indian investments but for that to happen, "a number
of issues [like] visa need to be overcome." She added that Indian "expectations" need to
match the "legal system" that is in vogue in Germany.
To another question on India's and Germany's quest for a permanent seat in the United
Nations Security Council, she said that the "enthusiasm" and "momentum" outside the
Group of Four (G-4, comprising India, Germany, Brazil and Japan) seemed to be "waning
somewhat" but the G-4 ought to be optimistic.
"Germany and India are both interested in a higher profile within the UN and we must
continue our contacts," she said. Prime Minister Singh, in turn, said that there still were
"hurdles" in the way but India and Germany have agreed to work together.
India and Germany on Tuesday signed seven agreements or memoranda of
understanding that dealt with mutual protection of classified information, creation of an
Indo-German science and technology centre, cooperation in patents and trademarks,
marine sciences, and post.
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