'India working toward NSG waiver'
Hindustan Times
Mar 13, 2008
In a statement that is bound to raise the hackles of the Left parties, the Indian government reiterated on Thursday it was working towards an international waiver that would enable the resumption of nuclear commerce after a 30-year hiatus. "We are working towards getting the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to alter its guidelines," Prithviraj Chavan, minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), said during question hour in the Rajya Sabha. "There can be no nuclear commerce till the NSG amends its guidelines," he maintained. The NSG waiver is one of the key elements in operationalising the India-US civilian nuclear deal. Before this, India has to work out a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and there are reports that the draft of this has been worked out. The Left parties that support Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government from outside have repeatedly threatened to pull the plug if it proceeds with the nuclear deal. There has also been talk of an early election, if push comes to shove. But External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee stated last week that the government would not be sacrificed for the sake of the nuclear deal.
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