IAEA-India talks on about N-safeguard

The central government is discussing with the International Atomic Energy Agency about developing an India-Specific Safeguard Agreement regarding its nuclear facilities, the prime minister's office informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

India had three exploratory meetings with IAEA on the main concepts that would be embedded in an India-Specific Safeguard Agreement, Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan said in a written reply.

However, he said that these talks were perforce exploratory in nature since the contours of the 123 Bilateral Co-operation Agreement -- and more importantly the implications of the US legislation on the subject (Hyde Act) -- were not clear.