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NEW DELHI: India is resisting Canada's demand to be allowed to confirm that uranium exported to the South Asian country under a bilateral atomic trade deal is being used as nuclear reactor fuel and not diverted to weapons production, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Monday.
Ottawa and New Delhi agreed in 2010 to resume civilian atomic cooperation after a decades-long falling out after India in the 1970s diverted Canadian-origin sensitive material to its nuclear weapons program. However, atomic trade between the two nations has yet to resume because India will not accede to Canada's verification requirement. The South Asian democracy argues the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards already in place over its civilian atomic sector are adequate for assuaging foreign concerns about the possibility of diversion.
"The Indians are saying they report through the IAEA and because of that, (this) should be adequate for us," Canadian High Commissioner to India Stewart Beck said. "We are concerned about where Canadian nuclear material goes."
"We're trying to come up with a reporting approach that will assure us material is not being diverted," he said.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is slated for discussions with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday in New Delhi. The status of the nuclear trade agreement is anticipated to be on the agenda.
Other governments have also demanded of New Delhi more stringent reporting requirements for any atomic exports. The Australian government recently opened negotiations on selling uranium to the energy-hungry nation. However, Canberra has promised any export agreement would come with strong nonproliferation guarantees similar to those Ottawa is seeking.
Anonymous Indian government insiders expressed optimism that an agreement with Canada will be struck. It remains to be seen if that occurs ahead of Harper's meeting with Singh.
"I think Canada is prepared to be flexible," a senior Indian official said. "India is also prepared to be flexible to an extent."
India Defense Today - India Resisting Canadian Fuel Verification Demand in Atomic Trade Talks: Media Report
Ottawa and New Delhi agreed in 2010 to resume civilian atomic cooperation after a decades-long falling out after India in the 1970s diverted Canadian-origin sensitive material to its nuclear weapons program. However, atomic trade between the two nations has yet to resume because India will not accede to Canada's verification requirement. The South Asian democracy argues the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards already in place over its civilian atomic sector are adequate for assuaging foreign concerns about the possibility of diversion.
"The Indians are saying they report through the IAEA and because of that, (this) should be adequate for us," Canadian High Commissioner to India Stewart Beck said. "We are concerned about where Canadian nuclear material goes."
"We're trying to come up with a reporting approach that will assure us material is not being diverted," he said.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is slated for discussions with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday in New Delhi. The status of the nuclear trade agreement is anticipated to be on the agenda.
Other governments have also demanded of New Delhi more stringent reporting requirements for any atomic exports. The Australian government recently opened negotiations on selling uranium to the energy-hungry nation. However, Canberra has promised any export agreement would come with strong nonproliferation guarantees similar to those Ottawa is seeking.
Anonymous Indian government insiders expressed optimism that an agreement with Canada will be struck. It remains to be seen if that occurs ahead of Harper's meeting with Singh.
"I think Canada is prepared to be flexible," a senior Indian official said. "India is also prepared to be flexible to an extent."
India Defense Today - India Resisting Canadian Fuel Verification Demand in Atomic Trade Talks: Media Report
