Washington, D.C.– Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation, had a sharp reaction to new reports that Russia intends to supply fuel for India’s Tarapur nuclear reactor:

“The ink has barely begun to dry on the Administration’s agreement to exempt India from U.S. and international nuclear nonproliferation laws, and other countries are already stepping up to the plate to seek their own exemptions so they can peddle nuclear materials and technology to the Indian Government.  Russia has now apparently decided to dust off an old proposal it had to sell nuclear fuel to India that the Bush Administration helped block back in 2001.  China may be next, asking to sell to Pakistan. Rumors are even surfacing of Venezuela preparing to become a supplier of uranium to allies such as Iran. We may be witnessing the beginning of the end of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime,” said Rep. Markey, a leading critic of Bush’s nuclear exemption for India.

Markey added, “India never gave the U.S. any guarantees that they would buy American nuclear fuel and technology if we helped create a special nuclear loophole for them.  Now we are seeing other nations begin to rush in to exploit that loophole to cut their own special deals.  These new reports about the Russian deal only underscore the fact that the benefits of the Bush nuclear deal with India are illusory and the consequences to the nuclear nonproliferation regime are immense.”

Two weeks ago President Bush signed an agreement in New Delhi which would grant India a special exemption from requirements in U.S. and international law that currently restrict exports of nuclear fuel and technology to countries that have accepted full scope International Atomic Energy (IAEA) safeguards.  In order to carry out this agreement, U.S. law must first be changed to legalize nuclear exports to India, notwithstanding its refusal to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty or accept full scope safeguards.  In addition, the U.S. must also convince the 45 nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to alter its supply guidelines to allow such sales.  The NSG operates on consensus and therefore an objection by any of the member countries to the proposed India exception can kill the deal.

Rep. Markey concluded, “If Russia goes forth with the sale of nuclear material to India without consensus from the NSG, this will begin a new era in which the rules that have governed nuclear trade for decades are gradually swept away. The Bush Administration has said their deal would be a ‘net-gain’ for nonproliferation, but so far, it’s a total loser.”

For more information on Rep. Markey’s work to address the proliferation of nuclear weapons, please visit http://markey.house.gov/