India negotiating with IAEA over nuclear deal, says Anand

Shimla, May 3 (UNI) Union Minister of state for External Affairs Anand Sharma today said the Indian Government was negotiating with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to secure nuclear fuel supplies and at the same time was committed to the two pipeline projects that would bring gas supplies into the country.

Talking to mediapersons here, he said Iranian president Mahmod Ahmedijad, during his recent visit to the country, had said that the bottlenecks to the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline would be resolved in 45 days.

Mr Sharma said though there was no consensus over the Indo-US nuclear deal, but it was very vital for meeting the future energy needs of the country.

''Negotiations with the IAEA were going on and only after it is cleared, then we will be able to approach the 45 nation Nuclear Supply Group for uranium fuel supplies,'' he added.

Besides, he said, the Iran gas pipeline, the Indian Government was also working on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline.

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