Don't transfer your problems to us, India tells US http://content.msn.co.in/News/National/NationalPTI_100607_1544
Sunday, June 10, 2007
New Delhi: As India made a fresh proposal to break the logjam in talks on the civil nuclear deal, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday asked Washington not to "transfer its problems" to New Delhi.
Emphasising that the reprocessing right was "absolutely necessary" for India, Mukherjee maintained that the government would not like the nuclear cooperation agreement to have any impact on the country's indigenous strategic programme.
"They (the US) say that they have some problems. We say do not transfer your problems to us," he told Karan Thapar's 'Devil's Advocate' programme when referred to Washington's reluctance to grant the reprocessing right.
"What has been agreed in the joint statement of July 2005 and subsequently in March 2006 and what's in our commitment to Parliament, they are already aware of. Therefore, within these parameters this 123 Agreement has to be signed," he said.
Mukherjee underlined that the reprocessing right to India will have to be specific to it as New Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its case cannot be compared with that of Japan [Images], China or Eurotom.
His comments came as India expressed readiness to set up a dedicated reprocessing facility under safeguards in an effort to break the logjam in talks over the 123 agreement.
Asked about the possibility of the reprocessing issue leading to failure of talks, he said, "I don't think it (grant of reprocessing right) will be difficult. We will be able to find some way out."
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