Western countries are collectively choking at the thought of nuclear renegade, Pakistan, heading the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s governing board for the next year. But not India.
At the IAEA, India and Pakistan are often on the same side __ mainly because both countries are opposed to the western attempts to make the IAEA the "secretariat" of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Both India and Pakistan remain outside the NPT, but both enjoy equal privileges and rights in the IAEA.
India and Pakistan are part of the MESA (Middle East-South Asia) group in the global body. This means every 8 years, the top job comes to this group and is divided between India, Pakistan and one Middle East country. In 2002, it was Kuwait who occupied the chair, India's turn was in 1994, and this year, its Pakistan's turn.
Pakistan choice for the job is Ansar Parvez, chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and the chief of the Chashma nuclear complex. China last week announced its intention to build two more nuclear reactors in Chashma, a deal that was not grandfathered by China when it joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
For the coming year, Pakistan will be occupied trying to work out a modus vivendi between US and Iran on Tehran's nuclear programme. Pakistan will be in a position to help keep the primacy of the IAEA in the Iran nuclear negotiations, which is now in the UN Security Council. Recently, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad indicated he was willing to reopen talks on the nuclear question.
On Pakistan too, the question of safeguards for the new reactors will come up, if the NSG gives a go-ahead to the China-Pakistan nuclear deal.
Pakistan chaired the IAEA board also in 1962 and 1986, while India had the post in 1970 and 1994.
No comments:
Post a Comment