International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohammad El Baradei on Wednesday favoured an end to India's nuclear isolation but stated that the UN nuclear watchdog will wait till New Delhi is ready to discuss with it after the 'domestic political dialogue' is over.
After a meeting with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee during which the Indo-US nuclear deal was discussed, El Baradei suggested that negotiating the India-specific safeguards agreement will not be difficult as IAEA already has such four such arrangements with the country.
Mukherjee 'explained to me the 123 agreement between India and the US,' Baradei told media persons.
The IAEA chief said he wanted to see India managing to get out of the restrictions imposed by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group on nuclear commerce and be able to operate as both a supplier and a recipient.
"As a friend of India, I would like to see India making full use of nuclear energy to enable it to sustain its 10 per cent growth rate," said the IAEA secretary general, who is on a four-day visit to India from Monday.
Noting that India was a fast developing country with growing energy demands, El Baradei said up to 70 per cent of petroleum used in India is imported and coal reserves are fast depleting.
India already has 16-17 nuclear reactors and plans to increase the number eight-fold by 2022.
"When they (government of India) are ready, we will be happy to negotiate with them... There is a domestic political dialogue on (here)... Our observation is that it is an issue for the government of India to decide," he said.
Image: IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi.
Reportage: PTI | Photograph: Raveendran/AFP/Getty Images
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