US Senate Approves Nuclear Technology Deal With India

The US Senate voted 85-12 on Thursday to grant India a special exemption from laws barring nuclear technology transfers to countries outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Both Republicans and Democrats backed the measure by wide margins.

The Bush administration is still finalizing the terms of the broader nuclear agreement with India. President Bush, traveling in Asia at the time, called the arrangement a strategic partnership built on shared values that would help India meet growing energy demands while limiting air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Analysts in the arms-control community warned that the exemption could weaken international efforts to curb nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea.

Incoming Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada voiced support for the bill, saying India had become a respected global power and that the legislation marked a positive step in bilateral relations. Democrats are set to hold a one-seat Senate majority when the new Congress convenes in January 2007.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.