India and the United States on Friday released the text of the 123 Agreement simultaneously in New Delhi and Washington.Following are the key aspects of the nuclear deal:
- The agreement not to hinder or interfere with India's nuclear programme for military purposes.
- US will help India negotiate with the IAEA for an India-specific fuel supply agreement.
- Washington will support New Delhi develop strategic reserves of nuclear fuel to guard against future disruption of supply.
- In case of disruption, US and India will jointly convene a group of friendly supplier countries to include nations like Russia, France and the UK to pursue such measures to restore fuel supply.
- Both the countries agree to facilitate nuclear trade between themselves in the interest of respective industries and consumers.
- India and the US agree to transfer nuclear material, non-nuclear material, equipment and components.
- Any special fissionable material transferred under the agreement shall be low enriched uranium.
- Low enriched uranium can be transferred for use as fuel in reactor experiments and in reactors for conversion or fabrication.
- The ambit of the deal include research, development, design, construction, operation, maintenance and use of nuclear reactors, reactor experiments and decommissioning.
- The US will have the right to seek return of nuclear fuel and technology but it will compensate for the costs incurred as a consequence of such removal.
- India can develop strategic reserve of nuclear fuel to guard against any disruption of supply over the lifetime of its reactors.
- Agreement provides for consultations on the circumstances, including changed security environment, before termination of the nuclear cooperation.
- Provision for one-year notice period before termination of the agreement.
- The US to engage Nuclear Suppliers Group to help India obtain full access to the international fuel market, including reliable, uninterrupted and continual access to fuel supplies from firms in several nations.
- The US will have the right to seek return of nuclear fuel and technology.
- In case of return, Washington will compensate New Delhi promptly for the "fair market value thereof" and the costs incurred as a consequence of such removal.
- Both the countries to set up a Joint Committee for implementation of the civil nuclear agreement and development of further cooperation in this field.
- The agreement grants prior consent to reprocess spent fuel.
- Sensitive nuclear technology, nuclear facilities and major critical components can be transferred after amendment to the agreement.
- India will establish a new national facility dedicated to reprocessing safeguarded nuclear material under IAEA safeguards.
- Nuclear material and equipment transferred to India by the US would be subject to safeguards in perpetuity.
