India says nuclear suppliers' approval "momentous"

By Krittivas Mukherjee

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India hailed as "momentous" a global atomic cartel's decision on Saturday to lift a 34-year-old ban on nuclear trade with New Delhi, a crucial step to sealing a controversial U.S.-India civilian nuclear accord.

"This is a forward-looking and momentous decision," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who spoke to U.S. President George W. Bush after the decision, said in a statement.

"It marks the end of India's decades-long isolation from the nuclear mainstream and of the technology denial regime."

The 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), meeting in Vienna, adopted a one-off waiver proposed by the United States, allowing atomic business with India even though it has not signed the non-proliferation treaty and has tested nuclear devices.

This followed tough negotiations in which several small NSG states agreed under heavy U.S. pressure to weaker language than they had sought to ensure India does not test atom bombs again.

"I thank the United States and other member countries of the Nuclear Suppliers Group for the role they have played in ensuring this outcome," Singh said. "The opening of full civil nuclear cooperation between India and the international community will be good for India and for the world."

The U.S.-India deal still has one hurdle to clear. The U.S. Congress must ratify it before adjourning later this month for elections, or it will be left to an uncertain fate under a new U.S. administration.

The fuel and technology deal would help India meet exploding energy demand in an environmentally sound way and open a nuclear market worth billions of dollars.