India and the U.K. have agreed on the text of a civil nuclear cooperation deal that is likely to be signed soon on a convenient date.
The agreement came after a meeting between British Business Secretary Peter Mandelson and visiting Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma in London on Thursday.
Mr. Sharma, who reached London on Wednesday evening from his visit to Hungary, led the Indian delegation at a meeting of the U.K.-India Joint Economic Trade Committee (JETCO).
The negotiations in the run-up to the agreement on the text from the Indian side were conducted by the former National Security Adviser, M.K. Narayanan.
When the deal is signed, it will be the seventh civil nuclear agreement inked by India since its first historic deal with the United States in October 2008.
Since then, it has signed deals with France, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina and Namibia.
India has already finalised a civil nuclear cooperation deal with Canada, which is expected to be signed next year.
The U.K. has been one of India’s leading supporters after it sought re-entry into international nuclear trade after the 2005 India-U.S. joint statement.
Contentious issue
One of the contentious issues during the negotiations was the preamble to the draft, in which India objected to the words proposed by the U.K. referring to its position on a fissile material cut-off treaty.
India has insisted that the agreement should reflect its official position, which calls for a universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable treaty.
The British nuclear industry reportedly exports nuclear goods and equipment worth over £700 million and can supply almost 70-80 per cent parts of a new nuclear reactor.
The issue of the food and drink sector also was discussed by Mr. Sharma and Lord Mandelson. India is the world’s largest market for whisky, with 90 million cases sold every year.
Source : http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/05/stories/2010020557910100.htm
The agreement came after a meeting between British Business Secretary Peter Mandelson and visiting Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma in London on Thursday.
Mr. Sharma, who reached London on Wednesday evening from his visit to Hungary, led the Indian delegation at a meeting of the U.K.-India Joint Economic Trade Committee (JETCO).
The negotiations in the run-up to the agreement on the text from the Indian side were conducted by the former National Security Adviser, M.K. Narayanan.
When the deal is signed, it will be the seventh civil nuclear agreement inked by India since its first historic deal with the United States in October 2008.
Since then, it has signed deals with France, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina and Namibia.
India has already finalised a civil nuclear cooperation deal with Canada, which is expected to be signed next year.
The U.K. has been one of India’s leading supporters after it sought re-entry into international nuclear trade after the 2005 India-U.S. joint statement.
Contentious issue
One of the contentious issues during the negotiations was the preamble to the draft, in which India objected to the words proposed by the U.K. referring to its position on a fissile material cut-off treaty.
India has insisted that the agreement should reflect its official position, which calls for a universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable treaty.
The British nuclear industry reportedly exports nuclear goods and equipment worth over £700 million and can supply almost 70-80 per cent parts of a new nuclear reactor.
The issue of the food and drink sector also was discussed by Mr. Sharma and Lord Mandelson. India is the world’s largest market for whisky, with 90 million cases sold every year.
Source : http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/05/stories/2010020557910100.htm
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