Telegram from the Indian Ambassador to Brazil, 'Nuclear Cooperation Between India and Brazil'

SECRET

D.O. No. RIO(CH)206/1/67

From: B.K. Acharya, Ambassador to Brazil

TO: Shri Shiam Sunder Nath, Deputy Secretary (AMS), MEA

DATE: October 6, 1967

Nuclear Cooperation Between India and Brazil

My dear Shiami,

Please refer to correspondence resting with Joardar’s D.O.No. W.II/504(19)/67 dated 16^th September, addressed to Krishnaswami. I have replied to the Chairman of the Brazilian National Commission of Nuclear Energy accordingly.

It is a pity that our Department of Atomic Energy could not see their way to react favorably to any of the proposals of the Brazilian Commission. As I have already reported earlier in my D.O.No. Rio(PS)101/6/6 and No. Rio(CH)206/1/67 dated 21^st and 29^th May respectively, addressed to Foreign Secretary, President Costa e Silva’s Government is extremely keen to encourage the development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in Brazil, and has been entering into Cooperation Agreements with several countries. By now Brazil has either concluded or is negotiating such agreements with more than half a dozen countries including Israel, France, and USA. Brazil on its part is also very keen to have some cooperation in this field with India. In view of the fact that in 17-Nation Committee at Geneva, Brazil is the country that has been supporting our position most forcefully in the matter of the draft US-USSR treaty on non-proliferation, I had hoped that for strong political reasons, we would be able to react more favorably to the approach of the Chairman of the Brazilian Commission. Apparently this is not possible.

Brazil, however, is still keen to know more about the development of peaceful use of nuclear energy in India. Therefore, Mr. Arnon de Mello, who is a Senator in the Federal Senate, is being sent to India with the approval of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, to establish contacts and, if possible, to visit some of our atomic energy establishments…It would be still better if the Foreign Secretary could find time to give the Senator an interview. I doubt very much whether a visit to our Atomic Energy Establishment in Bombay can be arranged during the Senator’s stay….