Rice: “We request that the language require that an India-IAEA Safeguards Agreement ‘has been fully negotiated and is awaiting submission to the IAEA Board of Governors for approval’. Alternatively, the language could revert to the House Bill which requires that India and IAEA ‘conclude’ a safeguards agreement and are making substantial progress toward “concluding” an Additional Protocol.”

• Senate Bill Section 115: Establishment of a Cooperative Threat Reduction Programme between the two countries.

Rice: The programme should be made “discretionary, not mandatory” and similarly, it should be “renamed US-India Scientific Non-proliferation Cooperation Programme...thus reflecting the programme’s focus on non-proliferation cooperation rather than confusing it with the existing Cooperative Threat Reduction Programme”.

• House Bill Section 4 (d)(4): Though non-binding, this provision urges the US President to lobby against fuel supply to India if the US terminates nuclear cooperation under the proposed law.

Rice: “India has taken the position that this is a deal-killer, arguing that this provision is directly at odds with the US pledge to facilitate nuclear supply to India. We request the House to adopt the language from the Senate”.

The Senate Bill only states that US will “not facilitate or encourage” continuation of supplies, clearly indicating that it won’t come in the way of a third country going ahead with supplies.

• Senate Bill Section 107: Mandates a specific end-use programme for India.

Rice: Given that the subject is currently under negotiations, she points out that the provision is “severely limiting our options...we would recommend making the provision non-binding”.

... contd.