Thaindian News

By Arvind Padmanabhan
Toronto, June 26 (IANS) India not only wants the guidelines of the 46-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to be transparent while giving technology to non-members like Pakistan but also hopes its waiver to New Delhi in 2008 remains intact.

“We hope there is transparency and international safeguards are observed when NSG decides on technology for non-members,” a top Indian official said here Saturday when asked about New Delhi’s position on the prospect of Pakistan getting two more nuclear reactors from Pakistan.

Reacting to the statement issued at he the conclusion of the five-day NSG meeting at Christchurch in New Zealand Friday, the official also said it was pleasant to note that the 46-member group was keen on working with India.

Yet, on the issue of the group considering ways to further strengthen the rules and guidelines for transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technologies, India hopes its existing deal stands unaltered, the official said.

The official also reacted to China’s recent confirmation that it has signed a pact with Pakistan to finance the construction of two more nuclear reactors to be built by China National Nuclear Corp at the Chashma site in Pakistan.

Bejing had earlier built two reactors for Pakistan there before joining the NSG in 2004. But NSG forbids its members from transferring nuclear material to countries that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

India is the only exception because of its flawless non-proliferation record.

Chashma-I went critical in 2000 and Chashma-II is due to begin operations in 2011. China claims the proposal for two more reactors flow from the earlier pact before it joined the NSG and hence does not need its permission.

Clarifying that India is not against Pakistan developing its energy sector and that the neighbouring country needed electricity urgently, the official, who is well versed with India’s strategic issues, said the only issue was transparency.

“Our deal with the NSG is transparent and in the public domain. And that how it should be,” the official said, adding: “They have not taken any decision yet on non-members. It is still under consideration.”