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Pranab: IAEA safeguards pact finalised

NEW DELHI: On the eve of his visit to the United States, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has indicated that the text of an India-specific safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been finalised but can only be “initialled” after the political process is completed.

“Some text has been reached, which only needs to be initialled, and that waits for the political process,” he told CNN-IBN before leaving for Washington, where he will meet U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The Minister is also likely to meet President George W. Bush.

Mr. Mukherjee, who is on his maiden bilateral visit to the U.S., made it clear that “the deal will be operationalised only after the IAEA, the NSG [Nuclear Suppliers Group] and the U.S. Congress give their approval and the Indian government then signs the agreement.”

Mr. Mukherjee said the government was pressing ahead with its efforts on the deal.

He denied there were differences between him and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the deal and said: “We echoed the same voice [in Parliament]. He said we are trying. I said we are trying. That’s all.”

Asked if he was disappointed that the process had taken so long, Mr. Mukherjee said: “They are our supporters and have stated their opposition; we are trying to convince them. If we can do it, we’ll do it; if we can’t do it, we can’t.” — PTI

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