Vienna, November 25
Indian negotiators during technical talks with the IAEA officials on India-specific safeguards did not spell out any specific mode of their approach, keeping several veterans on safeguards here and back in India guessing what would be the modalities that are being discussed.

The negotiators are expected to resume their talks with the IAEA officials soon. The first round of official talks ended on Friday.

The Indian negotiators comprising diplomats and a technical team appeared to have a difficult job of satisfying the agency’s tough legal team comprising Johan Rautenbach, Director of Legal Affairs and Laura Rockwood, senior legal adviser.

Although it is learnt that India would be negotiating on facility specific and material specific safeguards with the IAEA, some of the safeguard veterans here wondered how India was going to negotiate with the IAEA on its separation plan arrangement under the Indo-US deal.

It will be recalled that the separation plan is believed to be unimplementable for numerous reasons.

The safeguards and their implementation are intended for nuclear fuel and material accountability. — PTI