'Indo-US N-deal not affect India's right to test'

New Delhi, Aug 16: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today asserted that the Indo-US nuclear agreement would not affect India's right to nuclear tests in the future as it deals only with bilateral civil nuclear cooperation.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Mukherjee said that the text of the agreement does not mention testing but is only concerned the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

He said that the text of the agreement has been agreed to the mutual satisfaction of both governments. It reflects the political understandings and commitments of July 2005 and March 2006 and the basic principles listed out in the statement of Prime Minister in Parliament on August 17, 2006. The text of the agreement was released to public on August 3, he noted.

UNI