Cabinet approves US-India 123 agreement

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the text of the bilateral 123-agreement worked upon by senior Indian and American officials in Washington last week.

New Delhi, July 25: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the text of the bilateral 123-agreement worked upon by senior Indian and American officials in Washington last week.

The Cabinet's approval paves the way for the finalisation of the civilian nuclear energy cooperation between the two countries.

"The text of the '123 agreement' was placed before the members of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs and the Cabinet Committee on Security in a joint meeting. They approved the agreement," Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters, after the meeting.

Details of the bilateral pact, which the two sides struggled to put together, have not been made public, but a joint statement issued after the talks in Washington last week said they had made 'substantial progress'.

Mukherjee also did not divulge the details of the 123-agreement, the operational part of the nuclear, but said that it would be simultaneously announced by both the nations.

"On the very first day of the Monsoon session of the Parliament, a statement will be made by the Government on the salient features of the agreement, and it is naturally expected there will be a debate," said Mukherjee.

The deal aims to give India access to the US nuclear fuel and equipments for the first time in 30 years, to help meet its soaring energy needs.

The next step towards formalising nuclear cooperation between Washington and New Delhi include approval by the US Congress, India to negotiate a country-specific safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The NSG would need to amend its guidelines to permit civilian nuclear commerce with India.

ANI