Now, govt looks to win trust in N-corridors

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Nuclear energy to meet rising needs, says PM

New Delhi, Jul 23 : In a bid to win the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as well as members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to push the Indo-US nuclear agreement, the government has embarked on an intense lobbying exercise, sending out senior ministers as well as high ranking envoys to woo these countries.

According to official sources, these hand picked officials will visit the key players amongst the NSG countries, including those who are non-committal like China and those who have a very strong non-proliferation agenda like Ireland, Austria and Norway.

Sources said that minister of state for external affairs Anand Sharma who is already working on several influential NSG countries like Australia and New Zealand whose ministers are attending the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) ministerial meeting in Singapore, will also travel to African countries.

Apart from him, science and technology minister Kapil Sibal, minister of state in Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan, National Security Adviser MK Narayanan, foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon and Prime Minister's special envoy to Middle East Chinmaya Gharekhan are among those who will travel to various NSG countries.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's special envoy and former foreign secretary Shyam Saran has already left for Dublin, Ireland, to enlist its support in the board of governors' of the IAEA that will discuss an India specific safeguards agreement Aug 1.

Ireland is a member of the IAEA board of governors as well as the Nuclear Suppliers' Group and is seen by India as a "tough nut to crack" because of its strong anti-nuclear proliferation stand.

Saran is one in a select list of senior Indian envoys who are likely to leave for different world capitals in the next few days to engage with members of the IAEA board of governors and those in the NSG to ensure they support the initiatives for cooperation on civil nuclear energy with New Delhi, sources in the MEA said. He is likely to visit some other Scandinavian countries that have also been a little reluctant to agree to amendments to enter into commerce with India on civil nuclear energy in the next few days.

While Menon is likely to go to Washington to coordinate with US officials on how the two countries will take the issue to the IAEA and subsequently to the NSG, Chavan is scheduled to leave for Beijing soon to talk to the Chinese leadership to enlist their support, the sources added.