Devil's Advocate: 'N-deal India's passport to the world'

DEAL OR NO DEAL? If N-deal is not processed in the present Congress, it is unlikely it will be offered again, says Mulford.

          

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David Mulford: Yes, I think Minister (Pranab) Mukherjee put it succinctly when he said that the civil nuclear agreement was India's passport to the world. That is exactly correct. If this deal is embraced, if it is taken through the IAEA, safeguards are negotiated successfully between India and the IAEA and we go to the NSG and we get a rule change there by consensus India will be then free to deal with the entire civil nuclear world.

Karan Thapar: And the paradox is that once the 123 Agreement is through India doesn't necessarily have to deal with America but it will be then able to deal with the rest of the world. But without the 123 Agreement India couldn't deal with anyone.

David Mulford: That is a correct summary. We hope they will deal with us and we plan to be competitive as an industry but there is no agreement or undertaking that they have to do their business with the United States. It is a competitive market and my belief is that India—if this goes through—will become the centre of a major civil nuclear industry in the world and it will be effectively competing with China in the same field.

Karan Thapar: And all of that depends on the 123 Agreement because it is the key to a locked door?

David Mulford: That is correct, and that has to be passed through the NSG.

Karan Thapar: Let us look to the future. How confident are you that India can achieve a satisfactory safeguards agreement with the IAEA?

David Mulford: Well the United States is not a party to that negotiation, therefore I am not informed on what exactly is going in that negotiation. But I see no reason why a safeguards agreement can’t be achieved and I would be very surprised if that were not achievable.

Karan Thapar: After the IAEA the next stage is the NSG, where in effect America will shepherd the deal. India is hoping for a clean and unconditional clearance. Are you confident that you could deliver that?

David Mulford: We are all hoping for that. It has to be recognised that this is an extremely sensitive process. Just think about it: India has been granted a special exemption by the United States in the global system, and we are asking a variety of countries who were not given that opportunity to have a special exception.

Therefore, there are a mix of countries, some of which take the view that India is being rewarded inappropriately when it never signed the non-proliferation treaty. (There are) other countries who have very strong views on non-proliferation within their political structures, so that particular process is not going to be easy and we are very keen to get started with it.

Karan Thapar: Are you simply being cautious in the way you express yourself while you disguise a certain amount of doubt that India can get a clean and unconditional clearance.