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U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday issued a written confirmation that India has agreed to open its civilian nuclear facilities to international inspections, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 27).
Obama's certification marked a new step to bring into effect a nuclear cooperation agreement between India and the United States. The trade deal, signed by New Delhi and Washington during the Bush administration, would provide India's burgeoning atomic energy sector with access to U.S. nuclear technology and materials in exchange for allowing international monitoring of its nonmilitary nuclear operations.
New Delhi has declared a number of Indian nuclear reactors to the International Atomic Energy Agency, but the government stressed it had made the move of its own accord and it would not declare military sites.
To fully implement the trade pact, the sides must still complete deals on Indian nuclear fuel reprocessing and liability limitation for U.S. firms (Agence France-Presse/Google News, Feb. 3).
The nations are expected to complete the reprocessing arrangement by August, the Indo-Asian News Service reported. India's administration has endorsed a liability limitation bill for U.S. firms, but the country's legislature has yet to consider the proposal (Indo-Asian News Service/Economic Times, Feb. 4).
Obama's certification "shows continued progress and gives reason for optimism that final implementation issues can be resolved soon," said Ted Jones, a leader of the U.S.-India Business Council (Agence France-Presse).