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Friday, August 1, 2008

Good News

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After 34 years of nuclear isolation, India on Friday will be within striking distance of dissolving the sanctions the world imposed on New Delhi against buying nuclear reactors and fuel from abroad.

A first transformational step will be taken at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. The atomic watchdog will debate and clear an inspection arrangement for the nuclear plants that India says are for civilian purposes and important to Indian efforts of bridging the annual electricity shortfall of 14,000 mega watts, enough to power three cities the size of Delhi.

A diplomatic effort similar in scale to the one launched during the 1999 Kargil war has been mounted by India, as envoys criss Cross the world in support of the civil nuclear deal.

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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Red flag up, but UPA may push ahead

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In the face of the Left's unrelenting opposition to the India-US nuclear deal, the Congress, in a major shift of stance, is seriously evaluating the political fallout of sewing up the India-specific safeguards agreement with the IAEA without their consent.

The postponement of the schedu1ed UPA-Left meeting on the issue on Wednesday saw hectic consultations in both camps. After being closeted with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and Union Minister Kapil Sibal, a member of the panel for nuclear talks, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee conferred with Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Others present at the meeting were Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel.

Congress sources confirmed to Hindustan Times the possibility of the government signing the agreement despite the Communists' rigid opposition. But the final call would be taken after the UPA-Left committee meeting now slated on June 25.

The urgency in the government's moves was explained to the tight deadlines for completing the next three stages in the deal: the IAEA safeguards pact, the NSG waiver and the up and down vote in the US Congress on the 123 agreement. There was some relief, however, after the US State Department's public assurance that Washington would push for the deal till January 20, the day the new President would take oath in that country.

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