New Delhi: The United States expressed satisfaction over the initiation of talks on India specific safeguards between IAEA Director General Mohamed el-Baradei and Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar.
Talking to reporters after the talks were set in motion in Vienna, the US ambassador to IAEA Gregory Schultz said, “Once the Director General agrees to endorse the safeguards agreement, then it goes to the Nuclear Suppliers Group for getting exemptions for India for the civilian nuclear programme.”
He further said that the US is confident that the Indo-US civil nuclear deal will come through.
The safeguards issue is unlikely to come up at today's meeting of IAEA's Board of Governors but it will come up for approval at a special Board meeting later.
Schultz said that the Indian negotiators, who will remain in Vienna after the return of Kakodkar to India, would carry out further consultations with the nuclear watchdog and then a special board meeting can be convened by chairman of the IAEA board for the approval of the safeguard agreement by consensus.
He said that the 45-country NSG wants the safeguards agreement to be approved by the board to carry out the further process.
The NSG had a consultative meeting last week where increasing number of countries were preparing to give exemption for India.
The EU and Russia are already supporting India in this regard and South Africa, which is currently heading the NSG, is also backing New Delhi.
NSG will also hold a special meeting if required before March once the IAEA board approves India-specific safeguards agreement.
(With agency inputs)
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