INDIA: BUSH VISIT WRAP: US and India agree "historic" nuclear energy deal during President Bush's first visit to India. Anit-Bush protests held across India

Record ID: 1372085

  • Title: INDIA: BUSH VISIT WRAP: US and India agree "historic" nuclear energy deal during President Bush's first visit to India. Anit-Bush protests held across India
  • Date: 4th March 2006
  • Summary: BUSH MEETING WITH SONIA GANDHI, CHAIRPERSON OF FEDERAL RULING UNITED PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE
  • Embargoed: 18th March 2006 11:13
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA28D2EP6J754PJWQI4ZKBPZ1LX
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: India and the United States said on Thursday (March 2) they had sealed a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation pact, the centrepiece of U.S. President George W. Bush's first visit to the world's largest democracy.
    The deal, which would give India access to U.S. nuclear technology to meet its soaring energy needs, has been opposed by some members of the U.S. Congress because India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
    Hailing the agreement as "historic" Bush told a news conference, "Proliferation is certainly a concern and a part of our discussions and we've got a good faith gesture by the Indian government that I will be able to take to the congress. The other thing that our congress has got to understand is that it is in our economic interests that India have a civilian nuclear power industry to help take the pressure off the global demand for energy."
    The nuclear cooperation deal was the centrepiece of the visit and negotiators had worked late into the night on Wednesday to bridge the "last few gaps" between the two sides, officials said.
    Under the deal, India has agreed to separate its civilian and military nuclear programmes and place the civilian plants under international inspections.
    In return, the United States is offering nuclear technology and fuel. That would end decades of nuclear isolation for India, which was placed under international sanctions after conducting nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998.
    As Bush met Singh in India, a car bomb killed five people outside the U.S. consulate and Marriott Hotel in Karachi in neighbouring Pakistan, the country that is next on the itinerary of Bush's South Asia tour.
    Bush said at least one U.S. citizen, a foreign service officer, was among those killed, but said he would not be put off from visiting the country, a key ally in his war on terror.
    "Terrorists and killers are not going to prevent me from going to Pakistan," he said.
    Meanwhile tens of thousands of protesters, including communists, Muslims and student activists, demonstrated in several Indian cities, burning effigies of Bush, marching through market places, shouting slogans and holding banners and placards denouncing him, bringing traffic to standstill in a few cities.
    Activists of socialist Samajwadi party joined Communists in Bhopal beat the effigy of Bush with slippers to vent their anger.
    Similar protests were also held in southern Bangalore city.
    Muslims staged a noisy protest in western Mumbai city against his visit with some beating his photograph with slippers and shoes.
    Activists later burnt an effigy of Bush as a mark of protest.
    In southern Hyderabad city, where Bush is scheduled to visit on Friday (March 3), Communists staged a protest march, including a donkey with an American flag held above its head and a sign held below it reading "I am George W Bush."
    In the national capital, tens of hundreds of workers of India's Communist parties, which provide crucial support to the ruling coalition government, gathered in the heart of New Delhi to protest the visit of President Bush.
    The demonstrators carrying red flags also took to the streets, chanting slogans such as "Go back, Bush" and "Bush is a killer".
    Bush is due to hold talks in Pakistan on Saturday (March 4).
    He arrived in the Indian capital on Wednesday (March 1) after a surprise visit to Afghanistan.
    Bush met with a variety of political, religious and business leaders, seen as a sign of a growing recognition in Washington of the strategic and economic significance of India after decades of mistrust between the two countries.
    He also held talks with federal ruling congress chief Sonia Gandhi and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani.
    While her husband was talking politics and trade, the U.S. First Lady exchanged jokes and accepted gifts of paper toys made by children at Mother Teresa's Home for Disabled Children in New Delhi on Thursday.
    The sisters, who belong to the order of Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa in 1950, showed Laura Bush the home, while children performed songs and showed her their art work.
    In the evening the Bushes attended a lavish banquet at the Presidential Palace hosted by Indian President Abdul Kalam.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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