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Ministry of External Affairs Official Spokesperson response to a question on Indo-US civil nuclear agreement

New Delhi
April 17, 2006 

Question: It has been reported that India is having an agreement with the US on no further nuclear testing…
Official Spokesperson: You are referring to the Telegraph report? As far as that is concerned let me clarify the position. USA has shared with India some weeks ago a preliminary draft Agreement on the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation under article 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act. Among the elements suggested by the United States there is a reference to cooperation being discontinued were India to detonate a nuclear explosive device. In the preliminary discussions on these elements so far India has already conveyed to the United States that such a provision has no place in the proposed bilateral agreement and that India is bound only by what is contained in the July 18 Joint Statement, that is continuing its commitment to a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing. India’s position on CTBT, that you mentioned, is well known and continues to remain valid.