No bar on N-trade with other countries: Pranab

New Delhi: The spat over the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and the waiver by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) between India and China has been resolved, with New Delhi sending out a tough message to Beijing.

In an exclusive interview to CNN- IBN, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that China had been sent the right message when he met the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in New Delhi on Monday.

The Chinese had reportedly attempted to block the waiver for India at the NSG in Vienna. In his first interview since Saturday's historic accord ended India's 34 years of virtual nuclear isolation, Pranab clarified a lot of issues.

"Taste of pudding is in eating. In the final analysis the waiver was granted by all 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group through consensus including the People's Republic of China," Pranab said.

Rajdeep Sardesai: Why are you so keen to give China the benefit of doubt? People's Daily wrote on September 1: "Whether it is motivated by geo-political consideration or commercial interest, the US-India nuclear agreement has constitutes a major blow to the international non-proliferation regime."

Pranab Mukherjee: What Chinese Foreign Minister told me during his visit I am trying to explain to you. He told not only me but he told in my presence on camera the words that I have just spoken. So leave it.

Rajdeep Sardesai: You want to live with it? So did you send a tough message to the Chinese as some believe you did or did you just reiterate your concerns?

Pranab Mukherjee: What correct postures were to be made I did exactly that. I can inform you that before the discussion in presence of others , we had a one to one meeting for about half an hour.

Pranab also believed that the 123 Agreement will be ratified by the US soon and that trade can begin with France and Russia.

"123 Agreement between India and USA cannot be implemented unless that agreement which has been initiated by India and USA is ratified by US Congress. It cannot be implemented so that part is quite clear. So far the arrangements with other countries where there is no such procedure, where there is no such legal predicament, it can be done but it depends on the talks between other supplier groups," he said.

Rajdeep Sardesai: So you still hope we can do an agreement with France when the Prime Minister is there at the end of September? With Russia?

Pranab Mukherjee: I cannot give you the time frame.

Rajdeep Sardesai: Legally you have no barrier?

Pranab Mukherjee: Because in those countries there is no such legal system, which is prevalent in USA.

He also reaffirmed that the nuclear waiver has not limited India's right to test in any way.

"I am exactly standing where we stood before the waiver was given, where we stood two years back where we stood in 1998,when unilateral moratorium was declared by Vajpayee government but we shall have to keep in mind the situation which was not earlier every country is a sovereign country and every country can go by its own laws. Therefore if we have the right to take a particular course of action, the other sovereign countries have the right to react and respond in a particular way which they feel necessary. There fore I have the right to act, others have the right to react," Pranab added.

Rajdeep explained the implications of the waiver and the significance of the Pranab-Yang meeting.

Rajdeep said Pranab used the words "correct postures were made by India" in the one to one meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister and some reports also say Sonia Gandhi also snubbed the Chinese Foreign Minister, she did not meet him. 10 Janpath said no meeting was organised in the first place.

Sources say Beijing has been sent the right message. The message that India does not take it kindly that China tried to block India' entry into the NSG.

The belief is that India does not want to take this spat with China any further given the "constructive engagement" that India want to engage with China.

But it is clear that on the strategic level India will remain wary of Beijing and the manner in which Beijing tried to block the nuclear waiver at the NSG has not gone down well with New Delhi.

Rajdeep added that Pranab has tried to send a message without spurring a public war of words with China.

He also explained that till Tuesday morning it seemed that India would wait for the 123 Agreement before engaging with France and Russia.

But Pranab made it clear that legally there is no bar on India going ahead with nuclear commerce. The 123 Agreement has to go through the Capitol Hill (US Congress) and India is still not sure of the time frame. It could be over by end September but could also go to a lame duck session in December and India doesn't want to wait for that.

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