Why is IAEA text a secret, Left asks govt
The Left on Tuesday attacked the UPA government for keeping the text of the IAEA safeguards agreement a secret.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: In a parting shot, the Left on Tuesday attacked the UPA government for keeping the text of the IAEA safeguards agreement a secret. Seeking ���full transparency,��� the Left parties said once the text was approved by the IAEA board of governors, India will have no say on it.
The Left said the full text of the agreement was necessary to clarify major issues involved like fuel supply assurances and the possibility of US terminating the civilian nuclear co-operation with India for any reasons in the future. It alleged that the experience of the 123 Agreement had shown that the claims of the government made prior to the negotiations were not borne out by the actual text.
���Once the text of the safeguards agreement is approved by the IAEA board of governors, which is what the UPA government seeks to do now, the subsequent steps require no participation at all by the Government of India. It is the US government that takes the next steps ��� moving the NSG countries for waiver and then placing the 123 Agreement before the US Congress. Therefore, it is critical for the country that the IAEA safeguards agreement is discussed with full transparency and not kept secret,��� the four Left parties said in a statement issued just as they announced withdrawal of support to the UPA.
The Left also said that the key concerns expressed by the Left parties on the IAEA safeguards agreement have not been addressed by the UPA. These included whether India will have the ability to withdraw imported reactors from IAEA safeguards, if India could withdraw indigenous civilian reactors from IAEA safeguards if US/NSG countries renege on fuel supply assurances, corrective steps that India can take if fuel supplies are interrupted by the US/NSG countries and in case India has to bring fuel from non-safeguarded part of the nuclear programme for the reactors in case of fuel supply assurances not being fulfiled will India have the ability to take it back.
���The text of the 123 Agreement has very ambiguous references to India taking corrective measures if nuclear fuel supplies from abroad are discontinued. Therefore, the text of the IAEA safeguards agreement needs to be made available to see whether any corrective action is possible on India���s part, if the US discontinues the fuel supplies,��� the statement said. It also said the agreement claimed that the US would join India in negotiating with the IAEA an ���India-specific fuel supply agreement��� while it was known that the IAEA was not at all concerned with fuel supply but only with imposition of safeguards on nuclear equipment and material.
The Left said the full text of the agreement was necessary to clarify major issues involved like fuel supply assurances and the possibility of US terminating the civilian nuclear co-operation with India for any reasons in the future. It alleged that the experience of the 123 Agreement had shown that the claims of the government made prior to the negotiations were not borne out by the actual text.
���Once the text of the safeguards agreement is approved by the IAEA board of governors, which is what the UPA government seeks to do now, the subsequent steps require no participation at all by the Government of India. It is the US government that takes the next steps ��� moving the NSG countries for waiver and then placing the 123 Agreement before the US Congress. Therefore, it is critical for the country that the IAEA safeguards agreement is discussed with full transparency and not kept secret,��� the four Left parties said in a statement issued just as they announced withdrawal of support to the UPA.
The Left also said that the key concerns expressed by the Left parties on the IAEA safeguards agreement have not been addressed by the UPA. These included whether India will have the ability to withdraw imported reactors from IAEA safeguards, if India could withdraw indigenous civilian reactors from IAEA safeguards if US/NSG countries renege on fuel supply assurances, corrective steps that India can take if fuel supplies are interrupted by the US/NSG countries and in case India has to bring fuel from non-safeguarded part of the nuclear programme for the reactors in case of fuel supply assurances not being fulfiled will India have the ability to take it back.
���The text of the 123 Agreement has very ambiguous references to India taking corrective measures if nuclear fuel supplies from abroad are discontinued. Therefore, the text of the IAEA safeguards agreement needs to be made available to see whether any corrective action is possible on India���s part, if the US discontinues the fuel supplies,��� the statement said. It also said the agreement claimed that the US would join India in negotiating with the IAEA an ���India-specific fuel supply agreement��� while it was known that the IAEA was not at all concerned with fuel supply but only with imposition of safeguards on nuclear equipment and material.
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