Pune, Nov. 25 (PTI): India has been firm on securing “clear and unconditional” exemptions from Nuclear Suppliers Group countries during discussions on a safeguards agreement with the IAEA, Atomic Energy Commission chief Anil Kakodkar said today.

“For us, protection of India’s interest is paramount. If this is achieved, the prospects of the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation deal getting through would certainly brighten,” he told reporters here after his return from Vienna.

On the response from the NSG members, Kakodkar said: “It is generally positive from the 45-member group.”

Noting that the negotiations with the IAEA on India-specific safeguards had no fixed “time frame”, Kakodkar said: “It is a complex exercise we wish to complete as fast as we can.”

He said any agreement “we sign in this regard should meet all requirements of national interest”.