US reminder on Indian commitment to ratify nuclear convention

The US government has reiterated its point that India’s nuclear liability regime must satisfy its international partners. And, that India would have to fulfil its commitment to ratify the Convention on Supplemental Compensation (CSC) later this year.

In his address at the India Nuclear Summit, the US government’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Geoffrey R Pyatt, recalled Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee saying during his recent US visit that India was committed to ratifying the CSC before the end of the year, showing the two governments were in step on this critical element of a civil nuclear partnership.

“One thing our bilateral civil nuclear cooperation has taught all of us is that by working together, our two countries can tackle even the toughest of problems. There are vast commercial opportunities in virtually every segment of the Indian nuclear energy market,” he said.

India, he said, had agreed on a clear line between its civilian and military nuclear facilities and to voluntarily place its civilian nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. India had filed its declaration with the IAEA regarding civilian facilities and to demonstrate that the facilities would not contribute to India’s strategic programme. Further, India had harmonised its national export controls with the control lists and guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime. He added India had agreed to work with the US to conclude a multilateral Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, to reduce the amount of fissile material available for nuclear weapons.

Pyatt said these steps clearly demonstrated to the world India's commitment to preventing proliferation from its civil nuclear programme and brought its domestic system into closer conformity with international non-proliferation standards. In its response, the US had moved nine Indian agencies from its ‘entities list’ and relaxed its licensing policies on a broad range of dual-use military equipment.