US to Continue Cooperation with India to Complete N-deal
Feb 7, 2008 (NDTV)
The United States has said it will ''continue cooperation'' with India to achieve the goal of getting the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement completed. White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto was asked in his briefing as to where the two sides stand on the accord given that Washington's pointsman for the deal, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, is scheduled to depart the State Department by the end of March. ''We'll continue our cooperation in order to achieve that goal of getting the agreement completed,'' Fratto said. Burns is stepping down from the Foreign Service at the end of March but US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that he will continue in the capacity of an Envoy on the civilian nuclear deal. Political analysts here have cautioned that the deal is running out of time and that the ball is in India's court to move it along.
Time Running Out for Nuclear Deal, Warns Mulford
Feb 6, 2008 (The Economic Times)
NEW DELHI : In a reminder that time is running out for the nuclear deal, the US said that it would be `practical to complete the remaining steps in the operationalisation of the nuclear deal before US president George Bush remits office. Already the political focus in the US has started shifting away from Mr Bush and his policies to the US presidential elections where the spotlight is on Democrat candidates Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. With this in mind, US ambassador David C Mulford, trying to give a broad sweep of the Indo-US bilateral ties, pointed out that a failure to complete the process now would mean that the nuclear deal would be put in cold storage at least for two years.
Nuclear India, Pakistan Not Running Arms Race: US
Feb 6, 2008 (News Post India)
Although both India and Pakistan are fielding a more mature strategic nuclear capability, they do not appear to be engaged in a Cold War-style arms race, a top US intelligence official assesses. 'We note that missile tests and new force deployments over the past three years have not affected the ongoing political dialogue,' Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell told the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday. Giving the senators the intelligence community's annual unclassified threat assessment, he said: 'We judge the ongoing political uncertainty in Pakistan has not seriously threatened the military's control of the nuclear arsenal, but vulnerabilities exist, today.
Another Blow for Headless India-US Nuclear Deal
Feb 6, 2008 (Asia Times Online)
BANGALORE - The India-United States nuclear deal has received another jolt with key interlocutors in its negotiation leaving their posts. Close on the heels of US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Washington's point-person in the nuclear negotiations, Nicholas Burns, announcing his retirement has come an announcement from India's ambassador to the US, Ronen Sen, that he is putting in his papers. Both Burns and Sen will leave office at the end of March. Unlike Burns, who is expected to continue working on the nuclear agreement even after he quits the State Department, Sen is not keen to take on any advisory role on the deal. Sen's tenure as India's ambassador in Washington saw an upswing in Delhi's relations with the US. The high point of this was the civilian nuclear agreement between the countries, which was to pave the way for lifting of global restrictions on nuclear trade with India.
India, Pakistan Sign Security Exchange Pact
Feb 5, 2008 (AFP)
NEW DELHI (AFP) — India and Pakistan signed an agreement to exchange security information, officials said, opening up a new channel of communication between the two nuclear-armed rivals. The accord clears the way for regular contact between India's military-funded Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) and Pakistan's state-run Institute for Strategic Studies (ISS). "The purpose is to build channels of communication at the level of scholars, because exchanges of security studies had been limited because of the strained ties we have had," ISDA director Narendra Sisodia told AFP. The former Indian defence secretary, who signed the accord with his counterpart in the ISS, Shireen Mazari, said it was a landmark deal because "except for contacts at international forums, we never had open discussions on security issues." The pact, first mooted by India in 2004, stipulates that the two mutually suspicious think tanks will send experts to participate in state-sponsored workshops in India and Pakistan and later engage in joint military research projects.
Hillary Woos Indian American, Pledges Stronger Indo-US Ties
Feb 5, 2008 (Hindustan Times)
Front running Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has pledged to take Indo-US relations to greater heights if she becomes the president, and vowed to work more closely with the Indian American community to make this happen. Clinton has written an op-ed article in India Abroad, a newsweekly headquartered in New York, evidently prompted by her desire to reach out to the Indian American community on the eve of the February 5 mega-primary. In her article titled "US-Indian Relations: A New Era", Clinton has said that one of the most difficult tasks for the new president would be "taking our foreign policy in a new direction and restoring America's leadership in the world." "As president," she declared, "I'll reach out to our allies again and work with them to tackle global problems. America's partnership with India will be among the most important."
India and US are 'Strategic Partners' Not Military Allies: Sen
Feb 5, 2008 (The Hindu)
Washington (PTI): India and the US cannot be "allies in the traditional military sense" and are more of "strategic partners" given their cooperation in diverse areas, said Indian Ambassador to the U.S Ronen Sen. Sen also hailed the Indo-US nuclear deal as the "most outstanding symbol" of the new relationship between the two countries as well as of Indias "new standing in the world". India and the US "will not be allies, in the traditional military sense", Sen said, adding that the two countries should be called "strategic partners". Sen, who has reportedly expressed a desire to demit office next month, made these remarks while speaking at the annual meeting of the Board of Directors and the Council of the Woodrow Wilson Centre. "The India-US civil nuclear initiative, which has attracted a lot of media attention,is the most outstanding symbol of the new relationship between the two countries as well as of Indias new standing in the world", Sen said.
BJP Blames Congress for 'Mishandling' Indo-US N-deal
Feb 4, 2008 (The Hindu)
Kolkata (PTI): Ridiculing External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's contention that India would be isolated if the Indo-US nuclear deal was not through, the BJP on Monday said the Congress had to be blamed for 'mishandling the agreement'. "It is their (Congress) own making and the party has to be blamed for the way it had handled such a nationally sensitive issue," BJP leader Venkiah Naidu told reporters here. Ruling out any support of his party to the Congress on this issue, Naidu said after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, "ably supported by his External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee" had signed the agreement with the US "how can they seek our support?" The best thing would be to involve all the political parties and evolve a consensus and then move on the issue, he suggested. "They (Congress) are having discussion with the Left parties, but after the Left issued threats, the government surrendered. They are more interested in clinging to power than to protect the country's prestige," he said.
Pawar: Government Must Not Thrust Nuclear Deal on Anyone
Feb 4, 2008 (The Hindu)
New Delhi: The UPA government should “not thrust” the India-U.S. nuclear deal on anyone if the Left failed to play ball as the country needs stability, Union Minister Sharad Pawar has said. Asking the government to take a rational approach on the nuclear deal, he said: “We should try our level best to convince our colleagues, but if we are not in a position to convince... not getting total support... majority in Parliament, then we have to take a rational approach.” “We should not thrust it on anyone. The country requires stability and country wants development,” he said in an interview to Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN’s Devil’s Advocate. He said if the nuclear deal became operational, it would add to the strength of the country, but not at the cost of country’s stability and economy. At the same time Mr. Pawar said, that the Left parties which are opposing the deal are “honest to their thinking.”
India’s Nuclear Deal Seen as Crucial
Feb 4, 2008 (United Press International)
LUCKNOW, India, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- India could face international "isolation" if its nuclear deal with the United States collapses, the Indian government said Sunday. ''If the agreement is not through, we could have to face isolation and possibly isolation in sanction too,'' External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India. He added India and the IAEA, the United Nations' atomic watchdog agency, remain far apart on a safeguards agreement necessary for the civilian nuclear deal to move forward, PTI said. ''My ministry is aware of these challenges and are making all attempts by focusing on bilateral and multilateral engagements for cooperation with source countries,'' he said. The U.S.-Indo accord is aimed at helping India develop civilian nuclear power and decrease its dependence on fossil-burning fuels, the news agency reported.
Indian Negotiators, IAEA Official to Meet
Feb 4, 2008 (Press Trust of India)
Indian negotiators and IAEA officials will meet shortly in Vienna to iron out the differences in readying the 'agreed text' on India-specific safeguards which is crucial to operationalise the Indo-US nuclear deal. So far, four rounds have taken place since November last for readying the text which has been stuck on certain wordings on the uninterrupted supply of fuel for civilian nuclear plants and on the corrective measures in the event of stoppage of fuel, sources said. The 'agreed text' was to be ready by the third round of talks during the first week of January this year but spilled over to the fourth round in mid-January but remained inconclusive because of the differences in wordings. IAEA spokesperson from Vienna in a communication told PTI that ''negotiations are continuing and the next meeting is expected shortly.''
Pakistan Test - Fires Medium - Range Missile
Feb 1, 2008 (The New York Times)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistan on Friday successfully test-fired an upgraded version of a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, the military said. The army's Strategic Missile Group launched the Ghauri missile, which has a range of 810 miles, from an undisclosed location, it said. The military has been working on modifying the missile to allow launches from mobile platforms. President Pervez Musharraf, the army chief, other officials and scientists witnessed the test, the military said in a statement. Pakistan became a declared nuclear power in 1998 when it conducted underground nuclear tests in response to those carried out by neighboring India. It also tested its first missile the same year.
Nuke Plant to Generate Power by March: Kakodkar
Feb 1, 2008 (Commodity Online)
CHENNAI: Chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission, Anil Kakodkar, said Russian-aided Koodankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu would begin power generation in March. 'Russia's international commitments to the Nuclear Suppliers Group have delayed the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project's expansion plans,' Kakodkar told reporters after a visit to the plant, about 600 km from Chennai. The project is being delayed because Russia has to take into account Nuclear Supplier Group's concerns, officials said here. S K Jain, chairman, accompanied Kakodkar and managing director of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. Jain told the media the first Koodankulam unit would begin generating power by this March. Unit 2 will go online by the end of 2008.
Aust Seeking Bigger Anti-Nuclear Role
Feb 1, 2008 (ABC News)
Last month the Government said it would scrap a landmark deal to sell uranium to India for civilian use because it has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The rejection carries weight as Australia has the world's largest known reserves of uranium with about one-quarter of the world's supply. "The current Government has a longstanding policy commitment as a political party and from opposition that we will not authorise the export of uranium to a country which is not a party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," Mr Smith told a news conference on a visit to Tokyo. "The nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has always been supported by Australia. "The current Australian Government came to office with a new commitment to seek to be much more active... as a nation on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament matters."
Saran Front-runner in Search for Next US Envoy
Jan 31, 2008 (Sify News)
New Delhi: The government has stepped up a search for a successor to Ronen Sen, India's ambassador to the US and a key interlocutor for the India-US nuclear deal who is likely to return home from Washington after his term ends March 31. Shyam Saran, Prime Minister's Special envoy on the nuclear deal and a former foreign secretary, is seen as a front-runner for the important post. Navtej Sarna, spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry, refused to confirm or deny reports of Sen wanting to step down after his term expires. "No comments," was all he would say. The name of Meera Shankar, India's ambassador to Germany is also mentioned in diplomatic circles as a hopeful for the coveted post. But given the recent trend of appointing career diplomats to key world capitals in place of political appointees, it is possible that the next envoy may as well be a serving diplomat. The government has, however, not made up its mind. With the future of the nuclear deal looking increasingly uncertain, one thing is, however, clear: the successor to Sen will have a tough diplomatic brief as he will go to Washington at a time when the deal is caught in the cleft of coalition politics in India.
Many Nations Want the N-deal to Go Through
Jan 31, 2008 (Rediff News)
The Indo-US nuclear deal is once again in the news with US Ambassador David C Mulford reminding India that "time is of essence" and it is better if the deal is completed soon or warned that the deal can be pushed back to 2010. However in India the nuclear deal is on the back-burner till the Left parties and ruling United Progressive Alliance government sort out their differences in the joint committee formed for the purpose. The committee is waiting for the copy of the India-specific safeguards agreement with International Atomic Energy Agency which is being negotiated right now. While the US is edgy over the delay, in India supporters of the deal are a frustrated lot. Those opposed to the deal are keeping their fingers crossed as they suspect that the government might be doing things clandestinely.
India Ready to Export Nuclear Reactors
Jan 31, 2008 (The Hindu)
KOODANKULAM: The country is prepared to export commercially viable civilian nuclear reactors to other developing nations across the globe if it is allowed to do so by the Indian government and also by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, Anil Kakodkar has said. Speaking to reporters at Koodankulam on Wednesday after witnessing the movement of gigantic caissons (seawater intake pipes made of concrete) into the sea for about 1.20 km at the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project site, Dr. Kakodkar said the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), which had mastered the design, fabrication and erection of a range of commercially viable nuclear reactors, could share its expertise with others if it was allowed.
Rudd to Visit US Within Months: Smith
Jan 30, 2008 (The Sydney Morning Herald)
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will visit the US within a few months, the Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said as he continued his first official visit to the US since Labor took office. The visit is likely to take place in late March or early April, but Mr Smith said he would leave it to Mr Rudd to announce the dates…Mr Smith also explained the Labor Government's decision not to proceed with the sale of uranium to India. He also said that Australia was now reserving its position on the US-Indian civil nuclear deal, a proposal to ship US civilian nuclear fuel to India. The deal will need approval from two international bodies, of which Australia is a member…"So far as the US-India civil nuclear deal is concerned, I have indicated that we are prepared to give consideration to that, but there is a fair bit of water to go under the bridge before Australia needs to make a decision on that either within the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency or the Nuclear Suppliers Group," he said.
US Plays Matchmaker to Pakistan, Israel
Jan 30, 2008 (Asia Times)
Geopolitics around Pakistan are taking dramatic turns. Details are emerging of a meeting between Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak…At the epicenter of the geopolitical turbulence in the region lies the rapidly expanding strategic partnership between the United States and India. The developing US-India strategic axis is triggering a large-scale realignment among regional powers, especially involving Pakistan…All this adds up to mean that the US-India strategic partnership need not be the end of the world for Pakistan. An altogether new strategic equation may develop in the region between Russia, China and Pakistan.
Enough is Enough, Throw Out UP Govt: BJP
Jan 30, 2008 (NewIndPress)
NEW DELHI: Terming the UPA government as one of the darkest chapters in India’s political history, the BJP National Council asked the people to throw out the “tottering” government, saying “enough is enough.” The BJP Political Resolution asserted that India suffered because of an indecisive Prime Minister and the nation required an effective leader and a strong Government. India needs to tackle the problem of internal security; India needs a farmer-friendly Government. The BJP-led NDA shall provide the nation with this clear choice under the leadership of L K Advani…The Political Resolution stated, “The Indo-US Nuclear Deal threatened to hurt India's nuclear preparedness and its strategic programme. It sought to close our national options. The Bharatiya Janata Party was clearly of the opinion that in its present form the nuclear deal was not acceptable. It is a matter of concern that the Left parties put on a facade of Opposition on nuclear deal but were unable to strike at the UPA when it persisted and still persists with the deal.”
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