Washington, Jan 18: Srinagar born Vijay Sazawal, a well-known atomic industry expert, has been appointed by US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to the prestigious Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee (CINTAC) to advise him on trade issues facing the key sector.
 In the appointment letter to 64-year-old Sazawal, Locke said that as a CINTAC member he will advise him "on trade issues facing the US civil nuclear industry for use by me and other Department of Commerce officials in our roles as members of the Civil Nuclear
 Trade Working Group of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee."
 "CINTAC will provide consensus advice on the development and administration of programmes and policies to expand US civil nuclear exports and strengthen the competitiveness of the industry," he said.
 Sazawal, currently Director of Government Programmes of US Enrichment Corporation (USEC) Inc, was involved in Track-2 discussions preceding the completion of the 123 Agreement between India and the US.
 "When the US and India, during the Bush administration, began to negotiate a civil nuclear agreement, my input and advice was sought by the US State Department and the Department of Energy, and I was actually involved briefly in 'Track-2' discussions preceding the completion of the 123 Agreement with India," Sazawal told PTI after the appointment.
 Sazawal was born and raised in Srinagar and came to the US in 1970 for doing PhD.
 Sazawal, who was appointed to CINTAC for a two-year term, is a long time advocate of Kashmiri Pandits. He is a policy analyst and a commentator who specialises in local governance and intra-community issues affecting political dynamics within the Kashmir valley.
 Sazawal is a founding member of the Indo-American Kashmir Forum (IAKF) and served twice as its President.
 He is currently the International Coordinator of IAKF, and its other overseas counterparts - the Indo-Canadian Kashmir Forum (ICKF) and the Indo-European Kashmir Forum (IEKF).

Lastupdate on : Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 IST