India to start safeguard talks on US nuclear deal

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NEW DELHI, Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) : India's government will start safeguard negotiations with the global atomic energy regulator as part of steps to implement a civilian nuclear accord with the U.S., after communist allies lifted their objection to the move.
The communist parties, key allies of the federal ruling coalition, allowed the government to hold initial talks with International Atomic Energy Agency on condition the government won't enter into an agreement without their prior approval.
"The government will proceed with the talks and the outcome will be presented to the committee for consideration before it finalizes its findings," Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in New Delhi today, following a meeting of a panel consisting of members of the coalition and communists. "The findings of the committee will be taken into account before operationalization of the India-U.S. nuclear cooperation agreement."
The 2005 nuclear energy accord, which seeks to end three decades of India's nuclear isolation and give access to U.S. technology and equipment, has been delayed because of resistance from the communist parties.
The left parties last week softened their stand after having earlier turned down the government's plea to allow the start of negotiations with the IAEA.
The change in the communists's stand has come because they are under pressure in the state of West Bengal, governed by the left parties, said P. R. Chari, a strategic analyst at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, a New Delhi-based group. Violence in the Nandigram area of West Bengal has led to accusations of human rights violations by civil liberties groups against the communist government and party members.