The Hindu : India to join search for radioactive material in Georgia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 21, 2002

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India to join search for radioactive material in Georgia

By Atul Aneja

NEW DELHI APRIL 20. Aware of Russian concerns over the presence of foreign powers in its neighbourhood, India has informed Moscow about its plans to team up with nuclear experts from the United States and France to detect remnants of radioactive material in Georgia.

Straddling the Black Sea coast, Georgia, once part of the former Soviet Union, is being currently cultivated by many industrialised countries, including the United States. Western interests in Georgia are being primarily driven by its strategic location. It acquires importance as it sits on new pipeline routes that will funnel Central Asian oil and gas to European destinations in the future. The development of these routes that will carry hydrocarbons to the Black Sea coast and beyond into Europe is likely to undercut Russian dominance over existing pipeline corridors in this zone.

The industrialised world, incidentally, sees resource-rich Central Asia as its back-up for energy security, especially as it recognises the importance of diversifying procurements of oil and gas from areas beyond the politically restive Persian Gulf.

Russia, not surprisingly, has resented these recent "intrusions" in its backyard. Besides, its concerns have been enhanced by another factor. Russian security planners are well aware that Georgia can become a springboard for spreading instability in neighbouring Chechnya, where Moscow is battling terrorists at considerable cost. Moscow's unease has especially heightened after the U.S., in an effort to intensify the war against terrorism, decided to send advisers for training Georgians to counter extremists in the country's sensitive Pankisi gorge recently.

Russia views a higher U.S. profile in Georgia as part of the latter's larger engagement in the region. The U.S., it is well aware, is already setting up a huge military base in Khyrgystan and is deepening its political and military ties with Uzbekistan.

Sensitive to Moscow's concerns in Georgia, the Indian side, has recently conveyed to the Russians its plans to team up with the Americans and French nuclear experts in the country. The purpose of this joint mission, sanctioned by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is to locate the radioactive material that lies scattered in Georgia as a legacy of its Soviet past.

This effort has acquired greater urgency after the war against terrorism after September 11. Recognising the dangers of nuclear terrorism, there is greater recognition among key countries to quickly detect and control nuclear material that can be used by terrorists for building a crude atomic device.

According to highly-placed Government sources, it was the IAEA, whom the Georgian Government had approached that had sought assistance from the U.S., India and France for this task.

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