India hopes US will 'deliver' in securing NSG waiver

After getting the IAEA nod for a safeguards agreement, India today hoped the US will "deliver" in securing for it "clean and unconditional exemption" from the Nuclear Suppliers Group which meets later this month.     

"We look forward for a clean and unconditional exemption and it is for the US to deliver as per the July 18, 2005 statement," Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar told PTI here ahead of his departure to India.     

Kakodkar, who had spearheaded the tough negotiations at the Friday meeting of the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors, said "I am hopeful that NSG will appreciate India's position and go ahead with the clean waiver."     

However, Kakodkar struck a note of caution taking into consideration the challenges that may confront India at the 45-nation NSG, which is expected to meet on August 21 here.     

"Of course, in international affairs, we have to wait till it happens on the ground level," he said. New Delhi is lobbying hard to rope in support from a non-committal China and convince countries like Brazil, Iran, Japan, Ireland, Austria and Switzerland that voiced reservations on the safeguards agreement.     

With the IAEA approval, India now needs the go-ahead from the NSG and then await the approval of the American Congress to operationalise the Indo-US nuclear deal opening the doors for nuclear commerce after over three decades of isolation.