76. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Christopher to President Carter1
[Omitted here is material unrelated to India.]
India. Ambassador Goheen raised the Tarapur question in his initial meeting with Prime Minister Desai. Desai promptly accepted the three conditions you set for recommending approval of the long-pending shipment of low-enriched fuel: (1) Indian willingness to maintain IAEA safeguards on Tarapur,2 (2) Desai’s personal assurance that U.S. fuel would not be used in a nuclear explosive device,3 and (3) agreement to enter into negotiations with us on non-proliferation questions.4 Desai told Goheen he was critical of the manner in which Mrs. Gandhi conducted the 1974 Indian test, that he was not planning to authorize another test,5 and that if the question came up he would consult with us.6
On the basis of Desai’s positive response, our recommendation to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to license the fuel shipment will go forward this week. Joseph Nye is tentatively slated to meet with the Indian Foreign Secretary in London June 10 to arrange to open the non-proliferation negotiations.
[Omitted here is material unrelated to India.]
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Subject File, Box 18, Evening Reports (State): 5/77. Secret. In the upper right-hand corner of the first page of the memorandum, Carter wrote: “To Warren, J.”↩
- Carter underlined: “maintain IAEA safeguards on Tarapur.” See Document 74.↩
- Carter underlined: “U.S. fuel would not be used in a nuclear explosive device.”↩
- Carter underlined: “enter into negotiations with us on non-proliferation questions.”↩
- Carter underlined: “not planning to authorize another test.”↩
- In the left-hand margin next to this paragraph, Carter wrote: “ok—I would like this in writing.”↩