India to sign safeguards agreement with IAEA tomorrow

India to sign safeguards agreement with IAEA tomorrow
Mumbai, Jan 30 (PTI) India will tomorrow sign a crucial safeguards agreement with the IAEA to allow supply of atomic fuel and technology to the country moving a step closer to operationalising its international civil nuclear cooperation after the 34-year-old nuke trade embargo was lifted."We will sign the India specific safeguards agreement(ISSA), a key inspection agreement in the afternoon of Monday in Vienna. The ISSA was approved by the 35-member Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on August 1 last year and now it will get ready for operationalisation of the civil cooperation," Indian Ambassador in Vienna Saurab Kumar told PTI over telephone.Nuclear Power corporation which is operating its reactors at less than 40 per cent capacity may soon benefit in the form of fuel import once the ISSA is ratified by the Indian Government. India has already signed agreements with the US, France, Russia and Kazakhstan and is planning to sign with Canada for resumption of nuclear commerce.Kumar will be assisted by the chief negotiator Ravi B Grover and Gitesh Sarma, Joint secretary, External affairs of the Department of Atomic Energy who are already in Vienna.The agreement with IAEA is a pre-condition for the implementation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and allow the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) to supply material and technology for India's ambitious nuclear power programme.Asked about when India will be signing the Additional Protocol which is a mandatory step as per the nuclear deal between India and the US, Ambassador Kumar said, " it is under discussion with IAEA. It takes time to evolve a draft. But once it is ready, it will be signed." Chairman, Atomic Energy commission Dr Anil Kakodkar said here that once the ISSA is signed tomorrow, the next immediate step would be to work for the process of ratification by Indian Government. PTI