Senate Foreign Relations chairman endorses US-India pact

Washington (Platts)--16Jun2006

US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar Friday
called on Congress to approve an agreement between the US and India providing
the southeast Asian country with nuclear fuel, technology and reactors.

"We should be concerned about the precedent set by this action, and we
must ensure that this agreement does not undercut our own responsibilities
under the [Nuclear] Nonproliferation Treaty. But I believe that we can do that
satisfactorily," Lugar said in remarks prepared for a commencement address at
the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

While Lugar is a leading proponent of nuclear nonproliferation in
Congress, he had not taken a position on the India agreement until Friday, an
aide said. The agreement is pending before his committee.

"Both houses of Congress are working through language that would guide
our policy toward India," Lugar said. "I believe we can help solidify New
Delhi's commitments to implement strong export controls, separate civilian
nuclear infrastructure from its weapons program, and place civilian facilities
under [International Atomic Energy Agency] safeguards."

The Indiana Republican said the agreement, which President Bush and
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed in March, would be "a powerful
incentive" for India to cooperate closely with the US to stop proliferation of
nuclear materials.

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