G-8 resolution not legally binding: India

The government on Friday said that the G-8 resolution -- on curbing the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technology to non-Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty signatory countries -- was 'not a legally binding document' and hoped individual nations will implement civil nuclear agreements with India on bilateral basis.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna also allayed concerns over the End-User Monitoring Agreement (EUMA) with the United States, saying it does not limit India's 'sovereign choice of whether, where and what weapons we choose to buy for our national defence'.

Touching upon the Indo-US relations during his reply to a debate on the working of his ministry in the Rajya Sabha, he said the ties have been transformed in the recent years and signing of the civil nuclear deal last year was a major development in this regard.

Referring to members' concern over the recent G-8 resolution in L'Aquila summit that spoke about putting curbs on transfer of ENR technology, he said it was a "political statement and not a legally binding document".

Krishna said the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which had granted India-specific clean waiver, has taken no decision in this direction. "It is India's expectation that our international partners in civil nuclear cooperation will implement the bilateral agreements that we have entered into," he said.

Krishna said India has been in regular touch with the Nuclear Suppliers' Group over the issue. An India-NSG troika (past, current and future chairman) was held on May 11, during which New Delhi made known its concerns, he said, adding that the NSG delegation said it would convey those concerns to the Group.

Responding to apprehensions of members over EUMA with the US, he said all governments have arrangements to ensure that defence related weapons and equipment that were transferred did not fall into wrong hands and were only for legitimate use.

"We too do so for our exports of such materials," he said. The agreement provides for "joint consultations on modalities and in no way compromises our sovereignty, or limits our sovereign choice of whether, where and what weapons we choose to buy for our national defence," he said.

"The arrangements that we have agreed on are fully in consonance with our sovereignty and dignity," Krishna said. Hitting back at the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has said that the agreement would compromise India's sovereignty, Krishna said successive governments have entered into such arrangements with supplier states including the US.