India not to accept US condition on military N-programme: PM

ON BOARD PRIME MINISTER'S SPECIAL AIRCRAFT: Making it clear that India will not accept any United States condition to put a cap on the military nuclear programme, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday expressed confidence that it will not become a sticking point between New Delhi and Washington.
    
"We are not obliged to accept anything that is not part of the July 18 joint statement," he said responding to a question about the US presenting a draft to India wherein it was mentioned that New Delhi would have to commit not to undertake nuclear tests in future, failing which the civilian nuclear cooperation will end.
    
Singh said in the July 18 statement, India has mentioned that it had unilaterally declared a moratorium on further tests and explosions of a nuclear device.

 

Asked whether it could become a "sticking point" between India and the US, he said, "I hope not. But I am not an astrologer."

 

Singh was talking to journalists accompanying him on a three-day visit to Germany where he will seek Berlin's support for the Indo-US nuclear deal.

 

He made it clear that under the deal, India was seeking civilian nuclear energy and not supply of bombs from the international community.

 

On negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency for safeguard agreements, the prime minister said Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar and his Scientific Advisor R Chidamabaram had had "good discussions" with IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei.
    
"The process is on," he added.