The Hindu

Nuclear energy: Russia, U.S. to expand India ties

 

15 July 2006

Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW: Russia and the United States have committed themselves to expanding nuclear energy cooperation with India and welcomed its non-proliferation commitments in a move expected to facilitate the lifting of international curbs on nuclear technology transfer to New Delhi.

 

"We look forward to reinforcing our partnership with India," Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush said in a joint statement on nuclear cooperation issued at the end of their bilateral talks ahead of the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg on 15 July.

 

"We welcome the important non-proliferation commitments India has made, and India's closer alignment with the non-proliferation regime mainstream. We look forward to working with India on civil nuclear cooperation to address its energy requirements, and on further enhancing the global non-proliferation regime."

 

NSG curbs

 

The explicit recognition of India's nuclear status by the two biggest nuclear powers is likely to speed up waiver of the restrictions of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group on nuclear cooperation with the country as a non-member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. In a separate statement, Russia and the U.S. announced a "Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism" aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

 

They vowed to jointly take "effective measures to prevent transfers of sensitive nuclear equipment, materials and technologies to states that may seek to use them for weapons purposes, or allow them to fall into terrorists' hands."

 

Leakage of technology

 

The agreement is expected to step up pressure for a deeper probe into the leakage of nuclear technologies from Pakistan.

 

The new Russian-American cooperation "will include determined and systematic efforts to detect and suppress trafficking or other illicit activities involving such materials, especially measures to prevent their acquisition and use by terrorists."

 

The plan calls for setting up international enrichment centres to provide nuclear fuel to third countries on a commercial basis.

Russia and the U.S. have also agreed to pursue bilateral nuclear cooperation for the first time in the history of their relations.

 

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