Thursday, February 9 2006 15:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Strongly defending the Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, former Indian Ambassador to the United States Lalit Mansingh said it has ended New Delhi's 'nuclear isolation' and it is a viable route for meeting the country's energy crisis.

"It (the agreement) recognizes India as a responsible nuclear state and that ends about three decades of nuclear isolation...what we call nuclear apartheid of India," Mansingh told sources here.

"That's a big development because we were inhibited by all kinds of sanctions and restrictions until the recognition of India as a nuclear state. Now, the doors will open," he said.

Secondly, Mansingh said, the agreement has a 'direct impact' on India's energy crisis.

"We have a huge energy gap. Our coal is going to be exhausted in 40 years. There is a limit to which you can develop hydropower. Imported oil is getting more and more expensive. So, this is one of the viable routes for meeting India's energy crisis...nuclear energy," he said.

Mansingh denied that India was somehow manoeuvred into signing the deal by Washington.

"Nobody forced India to sign the agreement. We concluded the agreement because we considered that it's in our interest. Americans didn't say sign this agreement or else!. We have gone into it because I think there are enormous benefits which flow from it," he said.