U.S., India sign civil nuclear cooperation agreement

By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and India signed a potentially lucrative agreement on Friday that would allow India to buy U.S. civil nuclear technology for the first time in three decades. Overturning a U.S. ban on nuclear trade instituted after India first tested an atomic device in 1974, the pact will provide India with access to U.S. nuclear fuel, reactors and technology to generate power for its population of more than 1.1 billion people. The deal could produce some $27 billion in investment in 18 to 20 nuclear plants in India over the next 15 years, according to the Confederation of Indian Industry. U.S., French, Russian and other companies are expected to compete for the business. The accord, reached after years of tortuous negotiations and harshly criticized by non-proliferation advocates,... [read full story]