Indo-US nuke deal: First round of talks on reprocessing fuel concludes

Mumbai: Taking the operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal another step ahead, both India and US completed a first round of consultations on 'arrangements and procedures' on reprocessing of spent fuel of American origin on Indian soil. This was revealed by sources in India's Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on Saturday.

The consultations, according to DAE sources, took place in Vienna and are a significant step to further interactions at a commercial level and for the operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal.

The first round of talks, they said, began early this week and ended Thursday. The process is likely to be completed in two months. "We expect the consultations to be over in two months so that the implementation of 123 Agreement can start within the timeframe given in the agreement," a top official of DAE said.

"The consultations were strictly based on Article 6 (III) of the 123 Agreement between India and US and few more meetings are expected to take place," he said.

The five-member Indian delegation was led by Ravi B Grover, the director of DAE Strategic Planning Group (SPG) and also the Director of the Knowledge Management Group.

The US team was headed by Washington's point man for nuclear negotiations with India Richard Stratford, who is also the director of the Office of Nuclear Energy Affairs in the US State Department.