By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS
On Board Air India One : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday that he had not given up hopes of charting a national consensus over the controversial Indo-US nuclear deal.
Speaking to reporters while flying to Singapore to attend the India-Asean summit, he also said that Russia would help set up four atomic plants at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu only when New Delhi signs a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
In an obvious reference to the domestic row over the Indo-US nuclear deal, arising from the opposition of his communist allies, Manmohan Singh said “there had been some delay” in forging ahead with it.
“I still hope the process of building a viable national consensus will yield satisfactory results,” he said, looking confident of achieving the objective.
“So I have not given up hope that we can reach a final satisfactory outcome on this matter.”
Asked if an India-specific agreement with IAEA, the global nuclear watchdog, could be signed this year itself, he replied: “Well, I hope, as soon as possible.
“The negotiations are going to begin with the IAEA. I hope they can be brought to a successful conclusion. Then we will bring them back to the Left coordination committee,” he said.
The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and its Left allies have been discussing the pros and cons of the Indo-US nuclear deal at a joint committee.
The Left allies of the government have finally allowed the latter to talk to the IAEA to negotiate an exception clause for India, but insist that the UPA should not sign any agreement without their approval.
Asked what he would do if the Indo-US nuclear deal did not go through, the prime minister responded: “We will cross that bridge when we reach there.”
In his free-wheeling press conference, Manmohan Singh also spoke at length about Russia’s stand on the four atomic power plants slated to come up in the southern tip of Tamil Nadu.
The prime minister, who visited Moscow this month, said reports in sections of the Indian media about Russian hesitation to help out with the setting up of the atomic plants were not correct.
“We have entered into a MoU with Russia on Kudankulam for additional (atomic) reactors. But it was already been made known to us that that agreement can be operational if we have an India-specific agreement with IAEA and also with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)… And also if the NSG treats India as an exception from the restrictive guidelines (government nuclear commerce).
“So, therefore, since there has been some hitch in finalising a safeguards agreement with IAEA and we are yet to go to NSG, so we felt it will be premature to sign the agreement (over Kudankulam) that we cannot operationalise.
“We have been discussing with Russia (that) four (atomic) reactors will be installed as soon as an India-specific safeguards agreement is in place and as soon as NSG have said ok.”
Manmohan Singh he had been discussing the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin for nearly two years.
“The Russians have been very, very supportive of India in dealing with IAEA and also we have assurances of their support when the matter goes to NSG.”
Asked about China’s stand, the prime minister replied: “Well, the Chinese have not said that they will not support us.”