Date:05/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/05/stories/2008090557880100.htm

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‘We will be guided by pact’

Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI: India has categorically stated that it will be guided solely by the terms of bilateral agreement with Washington on the nuclear deal, the India-specific safeguards agreement and a clean waiver that it expects from the NSG.

An External Affairs Ministry spokesman said India’s position on nuclear testing was well known. “We have a unilateral moratorium on testing. This is reflected in the India-U.S. joint statement of July 18, 2005.”

He said that as a matter of policy India does not comment on “internal correspondence between different branches of another government.” He was referring to a letter sent by the Bush administration to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs stating that atomic trade with India will be stopped if New Delhi conducted a nuclear test.