8 July:India on Tuesday expressed confidence that there will be no "difficulty" from the Chinese side when New Delhi’s case for exemption to conduct nuclear commerce goes before the NSG as part of the process of implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal.
This was the impression the Indian side gained after a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Hu Jintao of China that took place this morning on the sidelines of the G-8 summit currently on Sappora.
Briefing reporters on the meeting, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said the Prime Minister mentioned India’s civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the US.
"As mentioned by the Prime Minister yesterday we don’t anticipate that this issue will be a difficulty between us. The Chinese side expressed its willingness to cooperate with India in civil use of the nuclear energy."
To repeated questions on the issue, Menon said it was his impression that it would not not be a difficult issue.
The Chinese side has expressed interest in cooperation with India in civilian use of nuclear energy.
Asked how easy it would be in getting clean exemption from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), he said the Prime Minister has been talking to members of the NSG and "our impression is members are quite positive in cooperating with us. We have no no reason to believe why NSG should not not give us a clean and unconditional exemption."
He said since India was not not part of the NSG and would not not be taking the initiative with it directly it would be for the NSG to determine and indicate what it would do.
Group of Five Outreach countries to meet later
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the G-8 summit in Japan while Hu underlined that China strongly denounced the terrorist attack on the Indian embassy.
" I sincerely express my heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed in the bombing in Afghanistan," Hu further said.
The meeting lasted half-an hour. Singh also met UN Secretary General Ban-ki-Moon.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is in Hokkaido in Japan to attend the G-8 summit.
Speaking to reporters on board a special Air India flight to Hokkaido on Monday, Singh said India will take a decision soon on going to the International Atomic Energy Agency on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
The Prime minister also said the government has the numbers and is ready to face a floor test in Parliament.
Singh, who struck the deal with Bush in July 2005 and has encountered strong opposition from the Left allies now threatening to withdraw support to the government, will undertake a two-hour early morning drive for his meeting with Bush in Toya, about 200 km from Sapporo, a place where all the G-8 leaders are staying.
The meeting is slated before 0800 hours after which the Prime Minister will have a breakfast meeting with G-8 as part of the O-5 outreach countries summit with them.
He will review the progress on the deal with the President.
Singh may brief Bush on the recent political developments in which he has won new and crucial political support for the deal at home in the face of severe opposition from the Left and the possibility of overcoming problems in Parliament from the Left action.
The government’s plans on approaching the International Atomic Energy Watchdog (IAEA) for securing an India-specific safeguards agreement and moves for taking the matter to the NSG are expected to figure in the discussions with Bush.
The Prime Minister has pointed out that the US was committed once India takes the decision the US will have to fulfill its promises.
It is a public commitment on their part, the Prime Minister said on Monday.
He had also said the government would approach the IAEA "very soon" and once it takes the decision the process in this regard was expected to move "pretty fast".
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister will also be meeting the new Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
He will also interact with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicholas Sarokozy, British premier Gordon Brown and South African President Thabo Mbeki, who are all part of the NSG from where India should get a clear exemption for conducting nuclear commerce with other countries.
Singh told reporters accompanying him to Japan on Monday that during the bilateral discussions the civil nuclear cooperation agreement would figure in these discussions.
"Our attempt has been and I will reinforce that effort to impress upon the global leaders that India’s civil nuclear cooperation agreement as and when it goes before the IAEA and the NSG that we obviously seek the support of the world community in both these fora," he further said.
The Prime Minister is confident that China would not be a problem in the way of civil nuclear cooperation though he does not have a firm assurance from Beijing as of now.
His meeting with President Hu Jintao on Tuesday may have led to further understanding of the Chinese position.
At the G-8 summit with the O-5 countries, Singh is expected to take up the current burning global issues like the oil and food crisis and climate change and the need for reform of international organisations and financial institutions.
China condemns India embassy bombing in Kabul China today condemned the suicide bombing on the Indian embassy in Afghanistan in which 41 people, including two Indian diplomats and two ITBP personnel, were killed.
"We strongly denounce the terrorist attack on the Indian embassy. I sincerely express my heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed in the bombing in Afghanistan," Chinese President Hu Jintao told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when they met in Sapporo on the sidelines of the G-8 summit.
Militants rammed an explosives-laden car into the heavily fortified Indian embassy’s gates in Kabul on Monday, killing at least 41 people, including Defence Attache Brigadier R D Mehta and Counsellor Venkateswara Rao.
Hu also thanked the government and people of India for help in relief and reconstruction in the Sichuan province of China which had suffered a massive earthquake recently.
He recalled that India had given USD five million for assistance.The Prime Minister reiterated India’s profound condolences and sympathy for those affected in the earthquake and said he had no no doubt that the Chinese people had the capability to overcome the impact of the disaster.
In this measure, he said, India had been privileged to offer small help.He also expressed India’s deep admiration for the way the Chinese handled the earthquake. Courtsey : DD NEWS