India to sign nuke inspection agreement with IAEA on Feb 2

Mumbai, Jan 30 (PTI) Moving a step closer to operationalise international civil nuclear cooperation, India will sign a key inspection agreement with UN nuclear watchdog IAEA in Vienna on Monday, Atomic Energy Department (DAE) sources said today. The agreement with International Atomic Energy Agency is a pre-condition for the civil nuclear deal with the US that will end 34 years of nuclear isolation and allow the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) to supply material and technology for India's ambitious nuclear power programme, the sources said. India's Ambassador Saurab Kumar will sign the inspection deal with IAEA which will be later ratified by New Delhi, they said. Chief Indian negotiator Ravi Grover is already in Vienna to finalise the inspection deal. He is also working on mandatory additional protocol requirements. DAE said this is an important step to place 14 reactors under IAEA safeguards. This is also the way forward in immediately utilising the already ordered uranium from French power major AREVA, they added. The imported fuel from AREVA is proposed to be used in the unit two of Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant at Kota, already under safeguards, sources said. On August one last year, the Board of Governors of the IAEA authorised Director General Mohammed ElBaradei to conclude with India an India-specific safeguards agreement (ISSA) and subsequently implement the ISSA. A month later, the NSG agreed to lift the ban on nuclear trade with India. PTI

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