Potential of US India Nuclear Cooperation

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Potential of US India Nuclear Cooperation is the most significant feature of the bilateral relation between United States and India. President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided to enter into a civilian nuclear cooperation on July 18, 2005.

Under this agreement, India was ready to separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities and United States agreed to allow international nuclear trade to India. For this purpose the US President proposed changes within the US law and international export rules and regulations.

Essentials for the Potential of US India Nuclear Cooperation:

The potential of US India nuclear cooperation really started manifesting itself since 2005, with the arrangement of nuclear cooperation between the countries required to have the approval of the Congress at first. Withing 2006, the Congress decided to approve the implementation of the proposal under some specific conditions. New nuclear safeguards are required between India and the International Atomic Energy Agency in order to make the potential of US India nuclear cooperation a success. Not only this, the Nuclear Suppliers Group comprising of 45 nations also need to give the approval to the necessary changes in the guidelines of the agreement. However, another side of the potential of US India nuclear cooperation is that considering the inherent adverse consequence of the proposal on the international non-proliferation regime, the US government should take immediate steps to find remedies to the serious discrepancies in the proposal.

Controversy arising from the Potential of US India Nuclear Cooperation:

The potential of US India nuclear cooperation has been debated right from the announcement of the civil nuclear cooperation by the premiers of the two countries. The other potential states who are also major suppliers of the nuclear weapons were influenced by this bilateral agreement as well. The potential of US India nuclear cooperation in fact, acts as an incentive for these nations holding nuclear powers who in turn expresses their intention to conclude or announce similar agreements to achieve nuclear cooperation.

Not only from nations possessing nuclear weapons, but also from the other suppliers, there were debates regarding the issue of the potential of US India nuclear cooperation. They argued that such arrangements will break most of the international commitments that have already been signed. Thus, the debate hovers round the fact that the bilateral agreement between US and India is not just an issue between the two countries, but a multilateral one. Moreover, the effect of nuclear arrangement between the United States and India will be major on international export control regimes.

The offered solution that India would stick to and sign an Additional Protocol is no way going to improve the situation. This is because only Indian civilian facilities as listed by India will be highlighted. Hence, the controversy regarding the issue of potential of US India nuclear cooperation remains, because in spite of taking into account the supply condition of the two main formal and informal international nuclear export control instruments, there are no possibilities that the Potential of US India Nuclear Cooperation could be operated from preventing the supplier states from breaking their safeguards commitments.