India wraps up inital talks with IAEA

India negotiators on Friday wrapped up their first round of talks on a nuclear safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency with a message from the government that the discussions should be completed 'as soon as possible'.

The team of Indian officials, who held discussions with the IAEA on the safeguards pact needed to implement the India-United States civil nuclear cooperation deal, will leaving for home on Saturday.

Anil Kakodakar, chairman of the Department of Atomic Energy Commission, initiated talks on Wednesday and returned home on Thursday. He had said the safeguards issues were a serious business and they had to be worked out.

"The next round of talks is expected to take place soon. The three-day negotiations were purely technical. The government has given the green signal to finish the talks as soon as possible," Sheel Kant Sharma, Indian ambassador and governor on the IAEA Board, said.

The talks with the IAEA began after the Left parties, which are strongly opposed to the deal with the US, cleared the government's negotiations with the IAEA on the condition that it will not initiate any agreement and that the draft pact should be brought before the United Progressive Alliance-Left coordination committee.

The deal with the US could be operationalised only after working out a safeguards agreement with the IAEA followed by an understanding with the Nuclear Suppliers Group for doing nuclear commerce.