Russia hints at smooth sail for India at IAEA

WHAT LIES AHEAD: IAEA Board of Governors will seal the fate of safeguards agreement on Friday.

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New Delhi: A day before the crucial International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors seals the fate of India-specific nuclear safeguards agreement in Vienna, Russia indicated there will be no hurdles for India.

Russia, which is a key player in the IAEA and a major force behind the nuclear deal, also said that it would provide its support to India even at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) stage.

The IAEA consensus could see a cascade effect on the NSG meeting, which is to be held later in August to discuss a waiver allowing its 45 member countries to engage in nuclear trade with India.

Russia's Ambassador to India, Vyacheslav Trubnikov, told CNN-IBN, “I don't expect problems tomorrow. In fact, I am rather optimistic about tomorrow's meeting, and this optimism is based on a lot of hard work done by India and the US.”

Trubnikov also confirmed that there won't be a vote at the IAEA, which Pakistan had earlier pushed for.

Pakistan’s request for a deal similar to that given to India was shot down by former US under secretary and one of the architects of the deal Nicholas Burns. He said Pakistan’s proliferation record needs to be improved and the only country that deserves the deal is India.

“India is the only country that stands a chance at the NSG because of its credibility and trust.

India has promised to create a state-of-the art facility — monitored by the IAEA — and begin a new export control regime in place. Moreover, it has not proliferated the nuclear technology. We can't say that about Pakistan," Burns said.

The silence from China and some other countries notwithstanding, it is considered unlikely that any country would try and block a consensus at the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

“Any member is a sovereign member but it might be unusual that one country will break the consensus,” Trubnikov said.

The result is expected late Friday afternoon when IAEA Director General Mohammed ElBaradei will issue a formal statement on the behalf of the Board of Governors.