Given that the Left has taken a stand that it will withdraw support from the UPA government the moment it decides to confirm the safeguards agreement to IAEA, sources said, the government was not keen to precipitate a political crisis while the PM is abroad. As a result, the all-important decision to approach the IAEA will be taken only on his return.

However, the government is certain not to keep the US and other key countries guessing. It is in this context that the government has decided to send out a clear signal on the issue political high table in Toyako where 16 important countries will be present. Most of them are NSG members and have been awaiting a clear decision from New Delhi on the issue.

In fact, French President Nicolas Sarkozy recently wrote a letter to the PM on assuming presidency of the European Union July 1 and once again reaffirmed his strong support for the nuclear deal, hoping that India would be able to take the necessary steps soon to start bilateral nuclear trade. Besides the Indo-US 123 agreement, India has also completed negotiations on similar agreements with France and Russia. But these countries cannot honour the agreements until India obtains exemption from the NSG.

India is keen that it gets a “clean” exemption from NSG which makes no reference to nuclear testing. While some individual countries have stringent domestic laws that may prevent them from cooperating with India in the event of a nuclear test, New Delhi will lobby to ensure that no such clause is inserted in the exemption granted to India.

... contd.