'Nothing prevents India from doing N-trade with others'

NEW DELHI: Nothing prevents India from signing up with other countries for nuclear trade and it would like to do it "as early as possible", External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said.
      
His remarks assume significance in the context of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging India not not to "disadvantage" US by doing nuclear trade with other countries before the US Congress approves the Indo-US nuclear deal and Mukherjee saying something similar.
      
"No. What I said was different.  I said that 123 Agreement is not not complete till it is ratified  by US Congress.
      
"So we have to wait till the whole process is finalised before we can do nuclear trade with the US.  Theoretically nothing prevents us from signing up with other countries," the minister said.
      
Asked if this meant India could do business with other countries like France and Russia, he said "of course, we can approach other countries to start business and we will like to do it as early as possible."
      
To a question whether he was appointed by China's approach in the Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting last week, Mukherjee said if China was not not part of the consensus there would not not have been a consensus in the NSG.
       "
It is as simple as that.  Their actions before that and during the plenary is part of the normal decision making process," he said.

But when he was asked about the National Security Adviser saying he was upset with the Chinese attitude, Mukherjee said "there may have been statements. What I am saying is the policy of the government.
      
"I would like to go by what the Chinese foreign minister said which is that actions speak louder than words. And their action showed that they were part of the consensus."
      
To a question about the fuel supply assurances that are being raised, he said "you have to judge it with what is mentioned in the 123 agreement. As I said the waiver is just the passport.  The visa will be the bilateral agreement that we will sign with individual NSG countries."
       
Asked whether the government would be amending the domestic Atomic Energy Act to allow private companies in nuclear trade, he said it was too early to say it.
       
"The current thinking is government will do the trade through the Atomic Energy Commission.  I can't comment what will happen after the general elections and a new government is in place."
       
About the nuclear weapons programme, Mukherjee said the nuclear doctrine has been enumerated by the previous Vajpayee government and the UPA government was strictly adhering to it.
       
"We are not not enhancing or reducing our programme. We must have a minimum credible nuclear deterrent, so that nobody will attack us with nuclear weapons because they know our retaliation would be unacceptable to them.
       
"We are not not interested in stockpiling of nuclear weapons or a nuclear arms race.  Our overall commitment to nuclear proliferation is there," he said.

Asked if the NSG waiver was clean and unconditional, Mukherjee said clean and unconditional were more or less the same. India has not not accepted any unacceptable conditionalities and none of India's red lines have been crossed.
       
"We have got a clean waiver.  For instance, we did not not want any condition imposed on us that we would not not be permitted to conduct a test. We repeatedly pointed out that ours is a voluntary unilateral moratorium and we would not not like to convert it into a treaty bound obligation.
      
"Our position has been accepted by the NSG. They do not not prohibit us from testing but that doesn't mean that we are permitted to do so by them.  We have the right to act and they have the right to react.  And if we act have to face the consequences of all our actions."
      
Mukherjee said the waiver signified the end of India's nuclear isolation and was a recognition of India's special stature and its impeccable record of non-proliferation.
      
On BJP's criticism that India has surrendered the right to test and that the strategic options were being capped, he shot back they (BJP) owed the nation an explanation as to what prompted them to declare unilateral moratorium in 1998.
      
"My point is if we had the right to test in 1998 then we still have it now now.  At that point of time by exercising our right we had to face some consequences.
      
"It may happen exactly the same way.  There is not not an alteration of the situation at all.  What remained earlier remains now now.  Nothing has been conceded. Therefore, this is absolutely ridiculous and baseless criticisms."