Jul 10 2008
India-IAEA safeguards draft unveiled!
The UPA government today circulated the text of safeguard agreement accord to its 35-nation Board of Governors for approval and stepped on towards the controversial Indo-US nuke deal.
“At the request of the Government of India, the IAEA Secretariat today circulated to members of the IAEA board of governors for their consideration the draft of an ‘Agreement with the Government of India for the Application of Safeguards to Civilian Nuclear Facilities’,” International Atomic Energy Agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said in a press statement issued at the Agency headquarters in Vienna.
The agreement was sent after the Left parties withdrew support from the UPA government and submitted their resignation letters to the President on Wednesday. Left parties are against the Indo-US nuke deal and demanded the government to prove a vote of confidence in a week before approaching towards the deal.
The move described by Fleming as a “turning point” in India’s effort to push the deal came under attack from the Left and the BJP which saw a contradiction in government’s stand but the Congress said there is no contradiction.
According to the agreement, India will place its civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards to facilitate full civil nuclear cooperation between India and members of IAEA.
“The chairman of the board is consulting with board members to agree on a date for a board meeting when the agreement would be considered,” she added.
For the complete text of India-IAEA safeguard agreement, visit: http://im.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/iaea.pdf
