Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XIX, South Asia

120. Telegram From the Embassy in India to the Department of State¹

New Delhi, January 12, 1979, 1320Z

757. Subject: Indo-US Nuclear Relations.

1. Following is text of GOI aide-memoire on India dissatisfaction with delays in shipment of enriched uranium for Tarapur which was handed to Charge² by MEA Secretary M.A. Vellodi late afternoon January 12. Vellodi told Charge that the aide-memoire would also be given Assistant Secretary Saunders by Indian Embassy Washington Charge Gokhale when they meet at noon EST January 12 at the Department.³

2. (U) Quote: Aide-Memoire

The Government of India view with serious concern the unjustified and persistent delays in the processing of export license applications for enriched uranium for the Tarapur atomic power station by the concerned authorities in the United States.

The Government of India regret to note that one of the pending export license applications (XSNM 1222) for 16.8 tonnes of enriched uranium is being subjected to public hearings on extraneous considerations and matters which have been dealt with at length on earlier occasions. This application has been under consideration of the authorities concerned in the United States for over a year and the deliveries under this application are already overdue.

The Government of India also regret to note that there have been inordinate delays in the granting of clearance by the executive branch. The clearance for the previous application for 7.6 tonnes of enriched uranium took more than one year, while the clearance for one of the pending applications (XSNM 1222) has taken nearly 11 months. The Government of India hope that similar delays will not recur in the case of the later application (XSNM 1379) for 19.8 tonnes which has been pending since 11th October, 1978.

It will be recalled that the agreement for co-operation entered into in 1963 between the Governments of the United States and India, which came into force after all statutory and constitutional requirements of both countries had been met, envisaged timely supplies of enriched uranium for the continuous and efficient operation of the Tarapur atomic power station. It will be appreciated that inordinate delays in the supply of enriched uranium frustrate the basic object and purpose of the cooperation agreement. The delivery schedules and quantities of enriched uranium requirements were jointly determined in consultation with U.S. Government experts in order to permit the nuclear fuel complex at Hyderabad to conduct its fabrication campaigns efficiently and to meet the requirements of the Tarapur station. Applications for enriched uranium have broadly conformed to these agreed schedules. The delay in the shipment of enriched uranium has again resulted in the uneconomic operations at the nuclear fuel complex from December 15, 1978.

It is the earnest hope of the Government of India that the Government of the United States will take all necessary measures to ensure that the pending license applications (XSNM 1222 and XSNM 1379) are cleared without further delays and that all enriched uranium requirements of the Tarapur atomic power station are met in conformity with the letter and spirit of the existing cooperation agreement between the two governments.

New Delhi

12th January, 1979. End quote.

3. In turning over aide-memoire Vellodi orally made two points worth note. He expressed GOI unhappiness that NRC had agreed as one of its terms of reference in connection with the current shipment to evaluate once more Prime Minister Desai’s assurances against further nuclear explosions. Vellodi said GOI considered this personally embarrassing to the PM and substantially unnecessary in the absence of any action in the interval which could cast doubt on the PM’s earlier assurances. Second, Vellodi expressed the hope that the State Department could find it possible to submit the request for the next shipment to the NRC without waiting for NRC approval of the current shipment.

Blood

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790015–0701. Confidential; Niact Immediate. Sent for information to Bombay.
2. Archer Blood.
3. Telegram 9547 to New Delhi, January 13, reported that Gokhale delivered the aide-mémoire to Saunders at the Department of State, noting that Gokhale “was well aware of NRC’s independent status within USG; as result, he dwelt more on question of executive branch delays in submitting its recommendations to NRC. He said executive branch submitted its recommendation on pending application (XSNM–1222) eleven months after receipt. He expressed hope that Executive Branch will submit its recommendation on XSNM–1379 soon, saying this would ‛generate better understanding on our side.’” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790017–0395)