OTTAWA, Sept 26: Canada reversed itself on Monday and said it would supply material for India’s atomic energy programme, even though India has tested nuclear bombs in the past.
Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew signed an agreement with his Indian counterpart, Natwar Singh, under which Canada will allow the supply of nuclear-related ‘dual-use items’, which can be used for civilian and military applications.
The two countries also agreed to pursue further opportunities for the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, diplomatic phrasing that a Canadian official said could lead to the resumption of the supply of Canadian nuclear reactors to India.
“We have to acknowledge the substantial progress that has been made in India,” Mr Pettigrew told a news conference. He was referring to several steps taken by New Delhi, including a moratorium on nuclear testing and a commitment to separate its civilian and military nuclear programs.—Reuters
