123 mystery to be solved, N-deal to be unveiled today

IT'S A DEAL: US has reserved the right of recall of nuclear fuel and technology if India conducts N-test.

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New Delhi: The text of the Indo-US agreement for operationalisation of the civil nuclear deal will be made public on Friday. The text of 123 agreement will be released simultaneously in New Delhi and in Washington as per an understanding between the two countries, official sources said.

The document will be put on the website of the Ministry of External Affairs for comments and a debate on the significant agreement. The agreement, which was approved by the Union Cabinet last week, will also be placed in Parliament when it meets for the monsoon session on August 10.

The agreement to operationalise the civil nuclear deal was reached in Washington late last month after tough year-long negotiations. The talks were logjammed due to differences between the two sides on certain issues like reprocessing right for India, perpetuity of supplies and New Delhi's right to conduct a nuclear test.

Providing an outline of the agreement, officials of the two countries have said the pact is silent on nuclear testing by India. The US has, however, made it clear that it has reserved the right of recall of nuclear fuel and technology if India conducts an atomic test.

Washington would at the same time engage other members of Nuclear Suppliers Group to ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel to Indian safeguarded reactors. New Delhi has also been granted upfront right on reprocessing.

Under the agreement reached in Washington last month, India has the upfront consent for reprocessing the spent fuel and the US will help it in creating the strategic reserves of fuel for the lifetime of safeguarded reactors.

The right of recall is a discretionary power of the US President, but if India conducts a test, consultations will be held between the two sides on the circumstances under which the detonation had to be carried out in order to avoid a knee-jerk reaction.

Washington, in all likelihood, would end the civil nuclear cooperation with India but at the same time, it would engage other members of 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group to ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel to safeguarded Indian reactors.

Approved by the Union Cabinet last week, the accord will also be placed in Parliament when it meets for the monsoon session on August 10. The agreement to operationalise the civil nuclear deal was reached in Washington late last month after tough year-long negotiations.