Mumbai: India and the IAEA will hold talks on the safeguards agreement in Vienna today amid New Delhi's hopes of wrapping up the negotiations in this fourth round.

The Indian delegation, led by Ravi B. Grover, Director, Strategic Relations in the Department of Atomic Energy, will look forward to finalise an "agreed text" on the key pact with the global nuclear watchdog.

At the last round of talks earlier this month, the two sides had failed to arrive at an agreed text of the India-specific safeguards agreement, crucial for allowing the international community to have nuclear trade with New Delhi.

But ahead of fresh round, the Indian side is hopeful of resolving the differences and concluding the negotiations.

Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar, however, refused to predict the outcome of the upcoming talks.

"It is a detailed technical exercise and no template exists for it... I would not like to predict on it (when the agreed text could be readied)," Kakodkar told reporters here.

At the last round of discussions, the bone of contention was the issue of India's right to create strategic reserve for lifetime of its civilian nuclear plants -- a condition put by the Left parties, who provide the crucial support for the survival of the UPA government.

There was also no meeting point on the issue of corrective measures to be undertaken in the event of stoppage of fuel to power plants.

Besides these two conditions, India has been insisting on acknowledgment of its strategic programme by the international nuclear watchdog as per the Separation Plan finalised with the US.

Source : PTI