Politics

Moving Forward on the Indo-US Nuclear Deal

By Dweep Chanana ⋅ July 20, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅ Post a comment

The HT reports that Indian officials, led by Foreign Secretary Menon, have extended their stay to negotiate negotiations of the Indo-US nuclear deal. This can only be a good sign, if nothing else of the commitment of both sides to see this through. Meanwhile, over at YaleGlobal, Teresita Schaffer (previously US deputy assistant secretary of state for South Asia) has an interesting opinion peace rooting for a successful conclusion to this process, despite its many headaches:

This agreement has caused heartburn both in the US and India and, if implemented, will lead to major adjustments in the nonproliferation institutions that the US painstakingly built over the last 40 years.

Still, the agreement should be supported for two reasons: First, removing India from the list of “nuclear outlaws” is an essential step in securing India’s energetic participation in preventing the spread of nuclear-weapons technology. Second, the US could not have developed a real partnership with India – one that could stabilize Asia and strengthen the region’s democratic orientation – without breaking the nuclear taboo.

This process has been ongoing for over two years, but should end soon. According to the HT, the entire package of the deal - “the 123 Agreement, the consensus of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group and the India-IAEA accord on safeguards” must be on Capital Hill by the end of January 2008, to allow enough time before the next Presidential elections in September. Expect more coverage on this topic, and hopefully a speedy conclusion.