Indo-US Nuclear Cooperation Agreement because. "India is a responsible country"

'India to watch US closely' - Newindpress.com: "'India to watch US closely'
Monday August 22 2005 00:00 IST
PTI
MUMBAI: India will be closely watching the United States as to how that country would make changes in its laws and National Security Guards (NSG) regime with regard to dismantling restrictions and lifting embargo on civil nuclear technology before it starts reciprocating the segregation process of civilian and military nuclear facilities.
This process follows the historic Indo-US Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President George W Bush signed last month in Washington.
"The act of identification and segregation of the civilian and military nuclear facilities in India will be taken up in a phased manner, and is going to be purely on reciprocal basis. But before we take up any reciprocal steps, we have to closely watch what happens to the US laws on restrictions and lifting of embargo and the nuclear suppliers group front,'' chairman, Atomic Energy Anil Kakodkar said here.
The very fact that there is a recognition that India is a responsible country, with advanced nuclear technology, "there should be no question of any proliferation concern on full civil nuclear cooperation with India,'' Kakodkar said.
"The decision on the method of segregation will be purely Indian and not dictated by anyone. It is clear that it would not be a one-time job but will be determined as per national requirements that prevail from time to time,'' Kakodkar clarified.
In the light of ever-growing energy requirements of India, "we are looking for external inputs as an additional to existing and growing indigenous N-programme''.
Kakodkar said there is a recognition about India that "we are fundamentally strong in research and nuclear technology development''.
There is also growing awareness that India and China are two most populous and fastest growing large economies and if they have to carry out business as usual, there would be growing concern for increasing global warming situations. Nuclear energy has been now considered as a clean technology, he said.
Even the recent G-8 meeting emphasised on climate change, reduction in emission of carbon dioxide and need for sustainable development, he said.
With this growing awareness on environment as well as India's capability and impeccable track record on safety and export control, there is a definite change in mindset among the developed nations about India and the joint Indo-US cooperation statement was the result,'' Kakodkar said.
The move made by UK on lifting of sanctions a few days after the joint Indo-US declaration was a small step in positive direction, but we have to watch them also closely'', he said.
Kakodkar also said it was important to recognise that �India's growing economy needs large energy inputs. This is one of the important factors''.
We need ten times more electricity in the next five decades to come and how we are going to meet such large demand. Nuclear power is important in this context,'' he said."