Civil N coop can take place within ambit of 1962 AE Act : Kakodkar

Paris, Sep 30 (UNI) Virtually ruling out changing the Atomic Energy Act of 1962, the Government today said the civilian nuclear cooperation with other countries, including the US and France, could be conducted within the ambit of the old legislation.

''We can carry on the cooperation (civil nuclear cooperation) with other countries with present version of the Act,'' Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairmaan Anil Kakodkar said here today.

Dr Kakodkar, who signed the landmark civil nuclear cooperation agreement with France on behalf of India, said cooperation could start within the ambit of the Atomic Energy Act 1962.

He was addressing a press conference alongwith Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon The AEC chief said the civil nuclear coopereation agreement signed with France today would enable India to move forward with civil nuclear cooperation with other countries.

Replying to a question on reprocessing of imported uranium, Dr Kakodkar said the reprocessing could be carried out under the IAEA safeguards.

He said ''sooner or later'' commercial agreements would also be signed with other countries too.

Mr Madhavan Nair, ISRO Chief, said Indo-French space cooperation was also being strengthened and the two countries had discussed the usage of outer space for peaceful purposes.

He said India would be launching 'Chandrayan' within two months and a satellite for study of tropical climate would be launched in the second half of next year.

UNI RB GT GC1935