Pause on N-deal as panel will decide its future

New Delhi, Aug 31: After weeks of intense public spat and backroom negotiations between the ruling UPA and the Left over the Indo-US civilian nuclear energy cooperation agreement, the government today announced setting up of a panel to study the bilateral deal before operationalising it.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee made the announcement of setting up a high-level committee after a half-an-hour long meeting of the top UPA and left leaders.

"The committee will look into certain aspects of the bilateral agreement, the implications of the Hyde Act on the 1-2-3 Agreement and self reliance in the nuclear sector, the implication of the nuclear agreement on foreign policy and security cooperation," Mukherjee said.

The constitution of the committee and the timeframe for submission of the findings of the Committee are yet to be decided.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A K Antony and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel were present in the meeting, while Left Front was represented by CPI (M) leaders Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, CPI leaders A B Bardhan, D. Raja and AIFB leader Debabrata Biswas.

The committee is likely to be a political one with representation from the UPA and the Left, and would consist of ten members.

The Left, which has demanded stopping of all the future negotiations leading to the operationalisation of the deal, had earlier threatened the government of dire consequences.

The Front, which provides crucial support to the ruling UPA government, had demanded review of the implications of the US' Hyde Act on the bilateral 123-agreement that is the first step towards operationalising the deal.

Meanwhile, opposition BJP today reiterated its demand of amending the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 to 'insulate' country's strategic objectives.

"A suggestion has been made recently that, as the domestic laws of the US are the ones that are causing the problem, we should examine whether we can alter our laws, such as the Atomic Energy Act 1962 in such a way as to insulate our strategic objectives," BJP leader Vijay Malhotra said, adding: "If that can be done we should strengthen our laws, and on the basis of those altered laws, renegotiate the 123 Agreement."

Three more steps are required before the operationalisation of the deal that include, negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for India specific safeguards agreement, since India is not a signatory of Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (Treaty). This will be followed by amendment in the charter of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the passing of the 123-agreement by the US Congress.

Next week a debate on the nuclear deal issue is likely to take place in the Parliament.

ANI
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