The Indian Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and US Department of Energy (DOE) concluded a four-day workshop on civilian nuclear energy in Mumbai on January 12.

The U.S. was represented at the first workshop of the Civil Nuclear Working Group by R. Shane Johnson, director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology. India was represented by Dr. R. B. Grover, director of India’s Strategic Planning Group of the Department of Atomic Energy.

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The U.S. delegation included senior officials and technical and policy experts from the U.S. Embassy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration, DOE’s Nuclear Energy and Science Offices and several DOE national laboratories.

A colleague describes the workshop as “a ‘normal’ part of the process for the submission of a nuclear cooperation agreement to Congress.” The Atomic Energy Act requires the State Department and Department of Energy to make certain findings based on consultations and investigations.

DOE/DAE will apparently hold further meetings, including a safeguards meeting in the coming weeks.

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Let’s all have a big round of applause for Jane Vaynman, who managed a series of hilarious posts that mentioned crooner-cum-cosmonaut Lance Bass, the strange copyright policies of the Washington Times, Russian nonproliferation policy and and the simple pleasures of monkey sex.

Also, I plan to write something about Iran, but I am trying to stall until after the airstrike. Seriously, a couple of my friends are putting together a pool on the attack date.