NEW DELHI: India said yesterday it was negotiating agreements to buy nuclear technology and facilities from countries such as France and Russia, days after winning a waiver on a ban that had stopped it from accessing the global atomic market.
Actual deals would be signed only after a bilateral civilian nuclear agreement between India and United States is ratified by the US Congress, the Foreign Ministry said.
The bilateral deal, which will allow India access to American nuclear fuel and technology, turns a new chapter in India’s relations with the West, which imposed a ban on atomic trade with India after New Delhi tested nuclear devices three decades ago.
That ban was waived by a 45-nation suppliers cartel last week, enabling India to access the global nuclear market to meet its booming economy’s soaring energy needs, estimated to be worth billions of dollars.
“Government is taking steps to realize commercial cooperation with foreign partners in this field,” a Foreign Ministry statement said. “We have informed the USA about our intent to source state of the art nuclear technologies and facilities based on the provisions of the 123 Agreement from the US.” It said the government was moving to finalize agreements with “friendly partner countries” such as France and Russia.
The US Congress is likely to take up the bilateral deal for an up or down vote this month. Critics say the deal undermines nuclear nonproliferation efforts.
Already, Russia is building two 1,000 megawatt reactors at Kudankulam in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu as part of a deal signed in 1988.
Indian officials said the two countries would begin discussions on a multibillion dollar deal to build four more nuclear reactors in Kudankulam that has been delayed because of international restrictions against New Delhi.
Russian nuclear reactors cost up to $2 billion each but India could expect to get a hefty discount on such a major deal, as Russia competes with the United States for influence in India.
Officials say New Delhi is also negotiating a bilateral deal with France for nuclear energy projects billions of dollars, also being eyed by US suppliers including Connecticut-based General Electric Co. and Pennsylvania-based Westinghouse Electric Co, a unit of Tokyo-based Toshiba Corp.
Prospects for nuclear trade with India — expected at about $27 billion in investment in 18-20 new nuclear power plants over the next 15 years — has boosted the stock market value of nuclear equipment makers.
US President George W. Bush rushed the US-India civilian nuclear cooperation deal to Congress late Wednesday with hopes that lawmakers will expedite passage of one of his top foreign policy initiatives.
There is little time left on the congressional calendar to pass the accord, which would reverse three decades of US policy by shipping atomic fuel to India in return for international inspections of India’s civilian reactors.
With only about three weeks remaining before Congress recesses for the year, the Bush administration needs lawmakers’ help to overcome a law that says Congress may not ratify the accord for 30 working days after receiving it.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Wednesday with India’s defense minister and continued a push to persuade senior Democratic lawmakers to allow quick passage of the deal.
Democrats control the House and the Senate, and Rice has been appealing to crucial lawmakers to discuss the accord, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Lawmakers are scheduled to leave Washington at the end of the month to campaign for the Nov. 4 elections.
Barring passage of legislation to scrap the 30-day waiting period, Congress does not appear to have enough days left to ratify the deal.
Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony and Rice met privately to discuss the nuclear deal and US-Indian military cooperation. Antony did not respond to reporters’ questions before or after his meeting with Rice.
Some in Congress are vowing a careful and possibly time-consuming review of US-Indian nuclear negotiations, which could doom the plan’s passage this year.
