India will be allowed to trade with 45 countries: Moily

Hyderabad, Nov 19 (UNI) Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and Chairman of the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) Veerappa Moily today said the country would be allowed to trade with 45 countries once the Indo-US nuclear deal was operationalised.

Participating in a meeting on 'India's Nuclear Energy Programme and the 123 Agreement with the US', organised by the state NSUI, student wing of the Congress here, Mr Moily said, '' India could have the opportunity to trade and commerce with 45 countries in the areas of nuclear fuel. There is a good opportunity to supply and buy the fuel from other countries to meet the growing energy requirments in future.'' Stating that the agreement would not prohibit the utilisation of thorium projects and impinge upon our independent foreign policy, he said, ''The nuclear tests would not be compromised under the agreement.'' Alleging that the previous BJP-led NDA government has declared moratorium for nuclear tests after the second Pokhran tests unilaterally, Mr Moily, who was also incharge of Andhra Pradesh Congress party affairs, said, ''There is no need to declare unilateral or bilateral moratorium for nuclear tests with the 123 agreement.'' The agreement was 'exceptional' and the country does not need to sign on NPT or CTBT after the nuke deal is operationalised, he said, adding no country would trust India if the agreement was let down.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a great patriot and is committed to operationalise the agreement to realise the dream of India being a 'superpower' in the world, he said, adding, ''It will reflect the political will power of the country.'' ''The Hyde Act's conditionalities would not be binding on our country. The deal would allow us to take up civil and defence nuclear programmes independently,'' he added.

UNI