NEW DELH, 4 February 2008 — Despite four rounds of talks between India and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since November, the sides have not been able to reach an agreement that is needed to put into operation the India-US civilian nuclear deal. They have yet to agree on a draft of safeguards needed for the purpose.

“We have held four rounds of talks but do not have a draft yet,” a source said. The talks have been held in Vienna. The last round of talks was held between Jan. 16 and Jan. 20, with the Indian delegation led by Ravi Grover, head of the Strategic Planning Group of the Department of Atomic Energy.

The issue was discussed at a meeting of Atomic Energy Commission chaired by Anil Kakodkar. The commission was briefed on developments on negotiations for safeguards agreement on the deal and other administrative issues.

Disagreement between the two sides mainly centers on India’s right to hold its strategic reserve to cater to lifetime supply for its civilian nuclear plants. The text has been stuck on wordings for corrective measures in the event of stoppage of fuel, sources said. When a final agreed text is prepared by the IAEA, it has to be cleared by its board of governors before the United States proceeds for talks with the 45-member Nuclear Supplier’s Group (NSG) to secure a clean and unconditional exemption for India to do nuclear commerce internationally.

Another round of negotiations is to be held again in Vienna soon between Indian negotiators and IAEA officials to sort out their differences in readying the “agreed text” to put the Indo-US nuclear deal into operation. “Negotiations are continuing and the next meeting is expected shortly,” an IAEA spokesperson told a news agency.

According to Indian officials, in future talks negotiators will stress on appropriate wordings regarding fuel supplies and corrective measures to satisfy the IAEA.

India hopes the “agreed text” will be ready in time for the 35-member IAEA board of governors to study it for approval. The board is likely to insist on a five-week review of the completed safeguards agreement prior to making a decision on its approval, so that there is little time before the regular five-day board meeting, which begins March 3.

The board may take up the matter during its routine meeting in June, if the two negotiating parties do not come to any conclusion by March.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee described the deal as strategic to India’s future growth. Addressing members at the 176th annual general meeting of Calcutta Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata, Mukherjee said: “When computers were introduced, we faced opposition. Now the nuke deal is also being opposed. But we must remember that we are a part of this planet, we cannot live in isolation.”

On the progress of the deal, he said: “We are in the process of discussions with the IAEA regarding India’s specific safeguard arrangement. Then we will talk with the NSG regarding the amendment of laws to facilitate supply of nuclear energy to India, keeping the country’s interest in mind, according to the decisions taken by consensus. This would help us open up to countries like France and Russia also other than America,” Mukherjee said.