NEW DELHI, July 9: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ended a two-day visit to India on Sunday aimed at bring the country’s nuclear sites under international monitoring for the first time as part of a US-India nuclear pact.

The talks are the first in a series to open India’s civilian nuclear facilities to IAEA inspection in return for the United States dropping bans on sharing nuclear technology.

India’s junior foreign minister, Anil Sharma, told Reuters on Sunday the talks would continue, although no timeframe had been set.

IAEA delegation chief Oli Heimonem told Reuters late on Saturday: “We will continue with the process on safeguard agreement in the days to come.”

He said the discussions were “useful and productive”.

Before the talks, the Vienna-based IAEA said in a statement on Thursday its delegation would “discuss the application of safeguards to nuclear material and facilities that constitute India’s civilian nuclear programme”.

Two key US congressional committees last month endorsed the July 2005 nuclear cooperation accord struck by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The pact grants India access to US nuclear fuel and reactors for the first time in 30 years although the giant Asian nation has never joined the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and developed atomic bombs in secret.

Critics say the accord will weaken global non-proliferation efforts, and in particular undercut a US-led campaign to curtail Iran’s nuclear programme, while supporters call it a vital US opening to a new geopolitical ally.—Reuters