For six years, Pakistan has been exempt from a law barring American aid to countries that import material to develop nuclear weapons and do not accept international safeguards.

In return, non weapons states should accept stronger safeguards designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

It must accept international safeguards over all nuclear facilities and account for the nuclear material it has already produced - in effect, stopping further production.

But Poland and Hungary have gone a step further: volunteering to accept extremely intrusive safeguards, which include on-site inspections.

"India's refusal to accept safeguards really hurt them by shutting off access to the best outside technology," a Western diplomat said.

North Korea may accept international nuclear safeguards and is proposing new arms cuts.

Nehru wept when he saw the clause accepting safeguards.

And supplier states haven't always required customers who are not parties to the treaty to accept international safeguards on their civil nuclear activities as the price of doing business.

In addition, South Africa may want to know whether it can count on getting technical assistance from them and from the energy agency in the nuclear field if it accepts safeguards.

While accepting safeguards at declared facilities, Iraq had set up elaborate equipment elsewhere in an attempt to enrich uranium to weapons grade.