IAEA approves India nuclear inspection deal

VIENNA (Agencies) - The UN’s atomic watchdog approved an inspections agreement Friday with India that is key to finalising a US-India nuclear cooperation deal that critics say undermines non-proliferation efforts.

The so-called safeguards agreement, approved by consensus by the IAEA’s board of governors, will subject 14 Indian nuclear facilities to IAEA supervision and is a precondition to a deal under which the United States will supply New Delhi with civilian nuclear fuel and technology.

“I believe the agreement is good for India, and good for the world,” IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei told journalists after the meeting.

Under the safeguards agreement, 14 of India’s 22 reactors, six of which are already subject to other safeguard agreements, are expected to come under agency supervision by 2014 - the first ones as early as 2009.

The agreement will be “of indefinite duration,” ElBaradei said. US Ambassador to the IAEA, Greg Schulte, said it represented “a major step forward” to opening civilian nuclear cooperation with India, while strengthening the world’s non-proliferation regime.