N-deal: Reprocessing agreement in 6 months

India and US will commence work on a reprocessing agreement within six months after the 123 Agreement is passed by the US Congress, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar said Friday.

Consultations on arrangements and procedures with the US on reprocessing will begin within six months and will have to be completed within a year as per the 123 Agreement, Kakodkar told PTI.

Asked when the national reprocessing facility will come up once the civil nuclear trade begins with the Nuclear Suppliers Group, he said the facility will take time but before that India and US will have to complete all formalities.

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"The idea is, after the US Congressional vote on 123 Agreement, to complete the formalities on reprocessing agreement," Kakodar said.

According to Article 6(iii) of 123 Agreement, "with a view to implementing full civil nuclear cooperation as envisioned in the Joint Statement of July 18, both parties (India and US) grant each other consent to reprocess or otherwise alter in form or content nuclear material, transferred pursuant to this agreement and nuclear material and by-products material used in or produced through the use of nuclear material, non-nuclear material or equipment so transferred."

"To bring these rights into effect, India will establish a new national reprocessing facility dedicated to reprocessing safeguarded nuclear material under IAEA safeguards and the parties(India and US) will agree on arrangements and procedures under which such reprocessing or other alteration in form or content will take place in this new facility," the Indo-US bilateral agreement said.