By IANS
New Delhi : The Indian government Wednesday approved the draft India-US nuclear pact finalised last week in Washington and underlined that all concerns of India have been "adequately addressed and reflected" in the 123 pact.
The Cabinet Committee on Security and the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs have approved the India-US nuclear pact, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after a joint meeting chaired by Prime Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"All concerns of India have been reflected in the agreement and adequately addressed," Mukherjee told reporters.
Mukherjee, however, declined to reveal the contents of the pact which was finalised after four days of tortuous negotiations last week as the two sides are likely to make a simultaneous announcement on the nuclear pact later in the day.
"As there is time difference between the two countries, the timing will be fixed," but Mukherjee indicated it could be sometime today.
He said, "After that the National Security Adviser (M K Narayanan), Foreign Secretary (Shivshankar Menon) and Chairman Atomic Energy Commission (Anil Kakodkar) will address a joint press conference, if possible today."
The joint meeting was attended by key ministers including Mukherjee, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Finance Minister P. Chidamabram.
The US has granted India the right to reprocess US-origin spent fuel and lifetime uninterrupted supply of nuclear fuel even in the case of India conducting a nuclear deal as part of the 123 deal, according to sources close to the government.
The US has also decided to accommodate Indian sensitivities on nuclear testing by allowing it to retain its voluntary moratorium on testing and have found a way around the US Atomic Energy Act that entails suspension of nuclear cooperation with a country after it conducts a nuclear test, the sources said.
A statement on the draft pact, which is said to run into 30 pages, will be made on the first working day of parliament, said Mukherjee. "It is expected that there will be a debate," the minister said.
The government has already started selling the deal to its United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies, some of whom were present at the joint meeting.
Manmohan Singh, Mukherjee and three key negotiators of the 123 pact – Narayanan, Menon and Kakodkar – will brief the Communist Party of India-Marxist Thursday evening.
Manmohan Singh is likely to invite former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and both the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha as also the Rajya Sabha to reveal the details of the agreement.
The 123 pact, after being signed by the two countries, will have go to the US Congress for an up and down vote before it leads to the resumption of civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the two countries. India has to seek support of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group and negotiate a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) before nuclear commerce begins.