By KUNA
New Delhi : India Saturday said that it has concluded negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for safeguards agreement, a necessity to operationalise the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.
“That stage is over now because that negotiation with IAEA has been completed,” Indias External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
The safeguards agreement, along with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) waiver, is a prerequisite to operationalise the Indo-US civil nuclear deal. NSG comprises 45 countries.
The fifth round of talks between India and IAEA was concluded in the last week of February at Vienna where the two sides are understood to have finalised the draft agreement.
Mukherjee was speaking on the sidelines of a function organised by one of Indias leading think tank — Global India Foundation — to felicitate him on being conferred Padma Vibhushan one of the countrys highest civilian award.
Earlier receiving the honour, the External Affairs Ministers thanked all bureaucrats and others who had assisted him in his nearly four decade-old career in Indian Parliament. He had earlier held the portfolios of Commerce, Finance and Defence in various Indian governments.