VIENNA, Jan 30: India will next week sign an inspections agreement with the UN atomic watchdog as part of a deal lifting a 34-year-old embargo on nuclear trade with New Delhi, diplomatic sources said on Friday.

“The signing will take place on Monday at 2:30pm (1330 GMT),” said one source close to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The so-called safeguards agreement is a pre-condition for a US-led deal to allow nuclear nations to supply India with nuclear material and technology for civilian uses even though it refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Nevertheless, the safeguards agreement with IAEA can only come into force once it has been ratified by New Delhi, the sources said.

In September, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which controls the export and sale of nuclear technology, agreed to make a special exemption for India, having developed atomic bombs in secret and conducted its first nuclear test in 1974.—AFP