Complicated Indo-US nuclear relationship

India is one of the few states to not have signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Meera Shankar, India's ambassador to the United States, thinks it would be impossible to do so under the circumstances. India, like its arch-rival Pakistan, has nuclear weapons and is not willing to scrap them.

However, Shankar points out that her country has "always kept to the rules of the treaty like other nuclear states".

"We have put civil nuclear technology that could be used militarily under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency," she adds. She also says that India is committed to worldwide nuclear disarmament. "We think the world would be safer without nuclear weapons."

US - India Deal

India first tested nuclear weapons in 1974, plunging itself into decades of isolation. Only two years ago was a bilateral treaty signed under US President George W. Bush that opened up India's atomic energy market to US companies.

The main condition was that the military and civil part of the nuclear program would be strictly separated. Some further details were discussed at the end of last month. The Indian government offered to tender the construction of two nuclear power stations that US firms could bid for.

"That offers great potential," explained Shankar, "because India wants to expand its civil nuclear program to cover its growing energy demands and at the same time take into account the concerns about global warming."

"Good relations with Iran"

India's plans to cover its energy demands go further afield. A pipeline to transport natural gas from Iran to India via Pakistan is planned, although India has been hesitant in the past 12 months.

Ambassador Shankar says the project is still under discussion but there are several questions that need to be clarified. On the one hand, the Indians do not like the fact that the pipeline goes via the territory of its arch-rival Pakistan. Secondly, the Americans are not so keen on India doing business with a country that is currently thought to be building a nuclear bomb.

"We have good relations with Iran," says Shankar, which has been true for many years. But Iran will have to fulfil the conditions of the NPT, she adds, which India made clear with its vote at the International Atomic Energy Agency.

But this is not what the nuclear summit should be about, she says. "The aim there is to find means and ways to ensure that nuclear weapons do not fall into the wrong hands."

Still not a treaty state

Washington DC will probably put up with the fact that India has not yet signed the NPT for a while longer. The US itself has signed the treaty but the Senate still needs to ratify it. Until this happens, the US will accept India simply acting as if it is a signatory.

"India's position will remain the same," says Ambassador Shankar. "We have imposed a voluntary and unilateral moratorium on our nuclear weapons program and that will not change."

Author: Christina Bergmann / act
Editor: Disha Uppal