WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, met with U.S. President Bush at the White House, among the issues discussed during the meeting was Mr. Singh’s request that President Bush lift the ban on exports of controlled nuclear goods to India. The U.S. –India Joint statement issued reads, “The President told the Prime Minister that he will work to achieve full civil nuclear cooperation with India as it realizes its goals of promoting nuclear power and achieving energy security.” Representative Markey (D-MA), author of an amendment to the Department of State Authorization bill (H.R. 2601) to restrict the sale of weapons to India and honor the requirements of the Atomic Energy Act, which prohibits nuclear cooperation with non-nuclear weapons states not party to the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and lacking full-scope safeguards, issued the following statement in response to the new U.S. - India joint bilateral energy statement on nuclear power.

“Why should the United States sell controlled nuclear goods to India? India is not a member state of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and lacks full-scope safeguards required by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for non-nuclear weapons states to receive nuclear supply materials. We cannot play favorites, breaking the rules of the non-proliferation treaty (NPT), to favor one nation at the risk of undermining critical international treaties on nuclear weapons.”

“Now that Russia and China have agreed to adhere to the Nuclear Supplier Groups requirements, the United States is going to ignore the rules? What will Russia say when they want to supply more nuclear materials or technology to Iran? You can be sure that Pakistan will demand equal treatment. Will the Bush Administration soon be announcing nuclear cooperation with them?

“Selling nuclear materials to India is a dangerous proposition and bad nonproliferation policy. I am offering legislation to make sure that we don’t jeopardize the delicate balance of our existing nonproliferation policy.”