Indo-US N-deal: Clean waiver from NSG only

New Delhi, Aug 29: We want clean wiver from NSG and nothing less, directed Pranab Mukherjee. India is working directly as well as through interlocutors with member States of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for a clean waiver on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.

''We have made it quite clear that we are interested in a clean waiver from the NSG. We have made our position quite clear to the interlocutors...We are working through our interlocutors and directly with various NSG countries. We shall have to wait for the final outcome which will be available to us after the NSG meeting,'' External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on the sidelines of a Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Foreign Ministers' meeting here.

The NSG countries who could not take any decision at their August 21-22 meeting, will meet again on September 4-5 to discuss the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement which would allow India to have nuclear trade with the rest of the world.

No conditionalities please on NSG draft: Kakodkar

Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar said India will not accept any conditionalities on the draft of the Indo-US nuclear agreement circulated at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

''Everything should be within the framework of the July 2005 agreement between India and US'' he told reporters after a seminar on managing atoms for human welfare, pros and cons'' ''India has a long-standing policy (foreign affairs). This will remain, ''he said.

UNI