India will speed up negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency on country-specific safeguards, but will ensure that it is done satisfactorily, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Anil Kakodkar said on Wednesday on the concluding day of the second round of talks by Indian negotiators with the global atomic watchdog in Vienna.
"We are doing our best and trying to complete the process as soon as possible, but everything has to be done satisfactorily as the negotiations are comprehensive and complex," Kakodkar said.
"We will carry forward the discussions with the IAEA," he said adding, "If consultations are required, the negotiating team will come back and then continue the process."
However, Kakodkar refused to elaborate on the nature of the talks saying, "The negotiating team is doing its job, let us see how it takes shape."
Notwithstanding the Left parties' threat to the government not to carry forward the safeguards talks with IAEA beyond December, India opened the second round of discussions with the nuclear watchdog.
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It is expected that the draft of the agreed text on the country-specific safeguards would seek to address the interests of IAEA as well as India.
India is keen to have conditions such as assured fuel supply, strategic reserve and recognition of separation plan, according to sources in the external affairs ministry.
If the negotiators have to meet the deadline of the Left parties, then the talks have to be wrapped up before Christmas and New Year holidays when all establishments in Vienna will be closed.
The government has made it clear that it will not sign any pact with the IAEA before the India-United States civil nuclear deal is signed. Till then, the country-specific broad-based safeguards template will be kept on hold, the officials said.
This would also suit the Left party's demand that no agreement with the IAEA be signed till the Left-United Progressive Alliance committee on the nuclear deal issue gives its opinion.
The whole exercise is to assure the global community that India will not be diverting any of the imported material for strategic purposes, the sources added.
