• Indian expert to be sent to Switzerland
Switzerland President Micheline Calmy-Rey told reporters at the end of her New Delhi visit during the week that she had requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to send an Indian expert to Switzerland in order to explain the Indo-US nuclear deal.[1]
It was also reported that India and Russia would sign an agreement for building four more nuclear reactors at Koodankulam during Dr. Singh’s upcoming visit to Moscow. Reports quoted an unnamed Russian official as stating that the ongoing civil nuclear energy cooperation between the two countries was independent of the fate of the Indo-US nuclear deal.[2] Russia has also been willing to build fast neutron reactors for Indian power plants after international sanctions are lifted against New Delhi in civil nuclear cooperation.
• US: Pyongyang Japan
American officials have noted that North Korea was cooperating with the US-led experts to disable its nuclear weapons facilities. Work on disablement had begun at three major facilities at the main Yongbyon nuclear complex, including a 5-megawatt reactor that generated plutonium, nuclear fuel fabrication units and reprocessing plants.[3] US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack asserted that the disablement marked “groundbreaking territory” and that upon completion, the disablement would be “a real testament to the mechanism of the six-party talks …”[4]
Meanwhile, Japanese Foreign Minister Mashiko Komura indicated that Tokyo would bear some costs of the North Korean nuclear disablement. Japan had till recently refused to provide such aid unless Pyongyang accounted for its abduction of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 80s. However, Mr. Komura took pains to point out that shouldering the disablement costs would not be the same as providing financial aid to North Korea.[5]
Meanwhile, Japanese Foreign Minister Mashiko Komura indicated that Tokyo would bear some costs of the North Korean nuclear disablement. Japan had till recently refused to provide such aid unless Pyongyang accounted for its abduction of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 80s. However, Mr. Komura took pains to point out that shouldering the disablement costs would not be the same as providing financial aid to North Korea.[5]
Chinese Premier urges Iran Iran
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, during a meeting with the Iranian First Vice President, Parviz Davoudi on 2 November in the Uzbek capital Tashkent, urged Iran to cooperate with the IAEA and show "flexibility" over its nuclear programme. Wen added that China respected Iran's rights to the peaceful use of nuclear power and that Beijing would continue its efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.[6]
In other developments, Secretary Gates and his Chinese counterpart Cao Gangchuan agreed to work together to steer Iran away from its nuclear ambitions. Reports noted that the American officials were satisfied with the interactions with Cao because of the sense that the Chinese were “very strong” in their opposition of a nuclear-armed Iran.[7] Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed Germany’s readiness to back tougher sanctions against Iran if it failed to live up to its commitments made under the Iran-IAEA road map.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, during a meeting with the Iranian First Vice President, Parviz Davoudi on 2 November in the Uzbek capital Tashkent, urged Iran to cooperate with the IAEA and show "flexibility" over its nuclear programme. Wen added that China respected Iran's rights to the peaceful use of nuclear power and that Beijing would continue its efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.[6]
In other developments, Secretary Gates and his Chinese counterpart Cao Gangchuan agreed to work together to steer Iran away from its nuclear ambitions. Reports noted that the American officials were satisfied with the interactions with Cao because of the sense that the Chinese were “very strong” in their opposition of a nuclear-armed Iran.[7] Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed Germany’s readiness to back tougher sanctions against Iran if it failed to live up to its commitments made under the Iran-IAEA road map.
(The above review is written by the author for the "IDSA Week in Review." It also appears in the IDSA Strategic Digest).
[1] “Nuclear expert to explain deal with U.S. Switzerland 8 November 2007 , at http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/08/stories/2007110861021700.htm
[2] “India Russia 7 November, 2007 , at http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070032151&ch=11/7/2007%209:28:
00%20PM
[3] “US: North Korea 6 November 2007 , at http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Koreas-Nuclear.html?pagewanted=print
[4] Jon Herskovitz, “North Korea 6 November 2007 , at http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-11-
06T134314Z_01_SEO338031_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-KOREA-NORTH-COL.XML&archived=False
[5] “Japan North Korea 5 November 2007 , at http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=8206766
[6] “China Iran 3 November 2007 , at http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-30311820071103
[7] China U.S. Iran 6 November 2007 , at http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/11/06/gates.china/index.html
0 comments:
Post a Comment