Washington: US President Barack Obama has
certified that the Safeguards Agreement between India and the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on its civilian
nuclear facilities has come into force, in yet another step
towards full implementation of the Indo-US atomic deal.
A memorandum in this regard was issued on Wednesday to
the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as mandated by the
United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and
Non-proliferation Enhancement Act regarding the safeguards
agreement between India and the Vienna-based global
nuclear watachdog IAEA.
Obama also certified that India has filed a declaration
of facilities ?- as mandated by the agreement -- that is "not
materially inconsistent" with the facilities and schedule
described in the Separation Plan presented in the Parliament
on May 11, 2006, taking into account the later initiation of
safeguards that was anticipated in the Separation Plan.
The Presidential action came amid questions being raised
in some quarters about the Obama Administration`s commitment
to implement the landmark bilateral nuke deal.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a joint news conference
with Obama at the White House on November 24 last week said
the President had assured him of his `full and complete`
commitment to implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Singh had also said, "I am confident and I have the
assurance of the US President that this process will be over
without much further loss of time."
PTI
