India to be guided only by 123 agreement on Nuke deal

New Delhi, Sept 13 : India made it clear that the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States would be carried out according to the respective rights and obligations of the two sides as contained in the 123 Agreement.

Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi in a press release said that India would be guided by the 123 Agreement alone and the two governments had agreed upon the text of the agreement.

"The text of the India-US 123 agreement has been agreed upon by the governments of India and the United States. It is a public document," said Navtej Sarna, MEA spokesman, while responding to questions over Bush's contention that the assured fuel supplies to India are "not legally binding".

Sarna said, "Once the agreement enters into force, it would become a legal document in accordance with well-recognised principles of international law and the Law of Treaties".

The press release also said that the Government would not comment on the domestic political processes in the US or other countries.

Bush, while presenting the 123 agreement for consideration, in his memorandum to the US Congress, said the accord records certain political commitments concerning reliable nuclear fuel supply assurances but does not transform them into legally binding commitments.

The 123 agreement clearly specifies the responsibility of the US to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies even if it terminates its own cooperation with India.

Bush's remarks come close on the heels of coming to light of a State Department letter in which the US has made it clear that it will stop fuel supplies and other nuclear cooperation if India conducts a nuclear test.

ANI