PM is going for the G8, confirms Shyam Saran

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Tokyo for the G8 summit has been under cloud following the logjam over the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal. The Left parties have made it clear that they will withdraw their support to the Central Government if any move is made to operationalise the deal. And Manmohan's visit to the G8 is seen as step towards operationalising the deal. However, Shyam Saran, PM's special envoy on the nuclear deal as well as climate change has confirmed that Manmohan will be going to Tokyo.

Suhasini Haidar: It's the question that everyone has been asking. Is the Prime Minister going for the G8 Summit?

Shyam Saran: Yes, the PM will be going for the G8.

Suhasini Haidar: Has the decision been taken to finalise the safeguards agreement with the IAEA?

Shyam Saran: As you know we have more or less finalised the safeguards agreement but we really have to wait for a political direction for us to go back to the IAEA and finalise it.

Suhasini Haidar: That hasn't come yet?

Shyam Saran: No, it hasn't.

Suhasini Haidar: Many have suggested that the Indo-US nuclear deal is already out of time. Are you worried that it will be difficult to get through the IAEA and the NSG and finally to the US Congress by this December?

Shyam Saran: There is no calendar date as such. But of course the longer it takes to finalise this agreement the greater the level of political uncertainty. And that is precisely what is happening. But let me say that if we are able to get the safeguards agreement finalised with the IAEA and our able to quickly go... then on our behalf our friends in the US, UK, Russia and France take up the exemption for India in the NSG. If that then is expeditiously achieved, perhaps we may still be able to get through the US Congress before the end of this administration.

Suhasini Haidar: Of all the permanent five nations, China so far has not said openly on whether it will support the deal or not. Do you feel confident of bringing China onboard?

Shyam Saran: My sense is, after doing these rounds of consultations, that today there is a much more positive sentiment within the Nuclear Supplies Group than there was a year ago. How this will translate into China's position and NSG we will have to wait and see. But as I said the bottomline is that I am quite optimistic as far as NSG is concerned.

Suhasini Haidar: If you were the manager of this deal and you were trying to put a timeline down, would you say that the Government really needs to finalise its draft agreement in July itself?

Shyam Saran: We have done a considerable amount of work as far as the safeguards are concerned and it will not take too much time to finalise the agreement once the political go-ahead is given.

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