Friday, November 17, 2006

The India Nuclear "Stipulation"

The Senate has approved the U.S.-India nuclear deal but has added a stipulation--that India must join multilateral efforts to contain Iran's nuclear program before technology is shared.

Interesting stipulation. Who defines "multilateral"?

Zee News carried this report about the joint statement of the Indian and Russian foreign ministers:


India and Russia today said all possible means should be attempted to resolve the issue through dialogue rather than by "coercion" and "use of force".

"Coercion and application of force is not the answer to resolve the issue," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after talks here with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during which the Iran issue figured.

"We shared the view that all possible means to resolve the issue in a peaceful manner through dialogue and negotiations should be attempted," he said.

Mukherjee, who yesterday met visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, said India believes that Iran has the right to pursue its nuclear programme for peaceful civilian use.


This is the position of China and of some European countries as well.

Is this the type of multilateral effort the Senate had in mind? Don't think so.

Comments:
Nikolas,

What's America's public position on this? Something that calls for resolving the issue through "dialogue rather than by co-ercion", or something equivalent...

What the Senate means by multilateral may need definition, but it would be very unrealistic (in all senses of the word) for India not to say what it said.

I'm surprised this post came from the Washington Realist...it more correctly belongs to the Arms Control Wonk blog.
 
When the Senate passed this provision, they weren't thinking about negotiatins with Iran, which most people think will break down; they want India to guarantee it will interrupt its trade and energy links when Washington tells them to.
 
Multilateralism in the US means, US leads, everyone else follows.
 
Multilateralism in the US means, US leads, everyone else follows.
 
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