Nuclear deal shows convergence of India-U S interests: Tellis

New Delhi, July 18 (UNI) The India-U S nuclear deal will help India address its energy deficit required to sustain an economic growth of 8 per cent over the next decade, Dr Ashley J Tellis, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said today.

The agreement by removing the albatross preventing improvement in India-U S relations protected India's interests and indicated a convergence of interests between the two countries, he said while speaking at a session on "One Year Later: Does US-India Civil Nuclear Co-operation matter", marking the anniversary of the agreement.

Regarding the issue of India's energy problems, Dr Tellis noted that India will need an installed capacity of 250 GW of electricity by 2015, against 120 GW available currently. "The deficit of 130 GW must be made up somehow," he said.

While nuclear power could not make up the entire deficit, it could make the difference between a coal maximum (60 per cent) and a coal optimum (50 per cent) power regime. India would get access to global nuclear research and development to upgrade its nuclear technology.

The talk was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here.

India, he said, would get the option to increase nuclear power generation due to the Co-operation agreement. In addition, just as the other five nuclear powers it would give India access to the global fuel market for uranium. This would solve India's problem of uranium deficiency.

Dr Tellis felt that thorium as a fuel cannot be exploited unless the second stage breeder programme succeeded. Citing research, he added that the "breeders do not breed".

For the United States, Dr Tellis said, the India-US Nuclear Cooperation would strengthen the non-proliferation regime. It brought India into the international regime and rewarded it for its record of non-proliferation.

"The agreement also removes the albatross that has prevented improvement in India-U S relations, needed to meet the challenges of this century," he said. In case of a future nuclear test by India, fewer and less stringent sanctions would be applied, owing to the agreement.

According to Dr Tellis, the nuclear deal also protects India's interests. He said India would not have to choose between international nuclear energy cooperation and its weapons programme, essential for security. The Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime has restricted nuclear arms to the five original states, plus three others. Otherwise, the number of nuclear weapons states could have exceeded 30, Dr Tellis said.

He said the agreement was relevant and indicated a convergence of interests of both the United State and India. "It was therefore relevant," he said. Criticism in the US missed the point of the initiative. The intention was to strengthen India and increase its power, not to extract concessions.

"We are not here to promote US nuclear commercial interests," he said.

The disparity in nuclear powers of the two countries was too great to expect significant favours from India, he said. The US sought cooperation that would come from recognition of common interests, not enticement.

Earlier, welcoming Dr Tellis, Mr Scott Bayman, President, International Operations, General Electric, said the Cooperation was evolving strategic partnership along with a whole array of issues. Mr Tarun Das, Chief Mentor, CII, said July 18 had become a special day in the history of India's engagement with the world.

UNI SD MIR DB2022