'Nuke deal sets a precedent for Pak'

However, such deals with Pakistan and China will be a serious global security threat, warns US expert Dr SD Sagan.

Cautioning that the Indo-US nuclear deal will "greatly tax" the non-proliferation regime, a US expert has said that it sets a "precedent" for similar deals with Pakistan and China.

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"The Indo-US nuclear agreement will set a precedent for other similar deals that creates great costs for non-proliferation regime," Stanford University director of Center for International Security and Cooperation Dr Scott D Sagan said.

Speaking at a seminar organised by Russian think tank - PIR Center on the US-India relationship prospects in nuclear domain, Dr Sagan, however, observed that the Indo-US nuke deal also had the potential to improve the non-proliferation regime by bringing increased cooperation from India with global non-proliferation efforts.

Evaluating costs and benefits of such an agreement, he said, "It will set a precedent for other similar deals including China and Pakistan. That would be a serious setback for global security."

"Our goal should be to minimize the costs while keeping the benefits," Sagan underlined.

Sagan outlined a future Indo-US agreement that would contain such items as the Indian agreement to separate civilian facilities from military, subjection of civilian sites to IAEA safeguards and Additional Protocol, Indian support for Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty negotiations, and maintenance of unilateral moratorium on testing.

The US in return will cooperate on civilian nuclear technology development and assure reliable supply of nuclear fuel, intelligence sharing and improved nuclear safety among the benefits of Indo-US nuke deal, he said.