National

ElBaradei meets Manmohan

NEW DELHI: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Mohammad ElBaradei on Thursday called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here.

Before the meeting, he also interacted with National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan. Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar was present at the meeting with Mr. Narayanan.

The government remained tight-lipped on the meeting and photographers were kept at a distance. Dr. Singh has already said that IAEA chief is here on a goodwill visit.

Speaking to newspersons on Wednesday, Dr. ElBaradei said he wanted India to be a full partner of the IAEA and felt it would be difficult for the country to maintain a high growth rate unless it took recourse to nuclear energy. He also termed India as a model for all developing countries as far as the nuclear sector was concerned.

The safeguards agreement was a standard procedure in the civilian nuclear sector and there was no deadline for New Delhi to reach an India-specific agreement with the IAEA.

In a meeting on Wednesday with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Dr. ElBaradei had said India was both a recipient and supplier in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He also recalled that he had spoken since 2004 of the need for India to take its rightful place as an equal partner in the global nuclear order, according to briefing points released by the Foreign Office.

Mr. Mukherjee had expressed his appreciation of the work of the Agency under Dr. ElBaradei’s leadership and the cooperative relationship that India enjoyed with the Agency. He also appreciated Dr. ElBaradei’s personal contribution to the relationship and to its strengthening and development. They also reviewed other developments of common interest.

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