I gather NDTV will show the 123 Agreement signing ceremony with Pranab Mukherjee and Condoleezza Rice live from Washington at 0130 IST on October 11 (that's 1600 EST on October 10 if you are in the US). This link ought to work.
There is some talk of Mr Mukherjee now making a statement about how India considers the 123 Agreement to be legally binding. This is a good first step but GOI needs to do a lot more to send the proper signal out to the U.S. and the world so that there are no political or legal misunderstandings in the future.
Contrary to Ronen Sen' s statement that Indian concerns have been addressed by President Bush, I can tell you that trust levels between the two governments -- especially on the Indian side and especially in those sections of officialdom which will have to work this agreement and any equipment that comes with it -- is very, very low.
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4 comments:
If trust levels are as low as you state, whose agenda is Ronen Sen representing by professing that India is "completely satisfied" with a Presidential statement the limited value of which will also disappear when Bush leaves office on Jan 20, 2009?
@ anonymous
I fear you'll have to wait for my [forthcoming] book for a close answer to the wider question you ask.
Suffice it to say the role of INDEMBDC has not been very edifying. It was the one weak spot in an otherwise reasonable deployment of negotiating skill by the Indian side. And the consequences of that weak spot are myriad...
Thanks, Siddharth. I will wait for your book. In the meantime, could you perhaps shed some light on INDEMBDC?
INDEMBDC = Indian Embassy in DC?
When can we get to see what has gone in to the French & Russian (proposed) agreements? Any clarity on what the GoI's vision is going forward on the nuclear issue?
Mukund
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