The Hindu Business Line : US hopes to wrap up N-deal before time runs out

WASHINGTON: The United States is hopeful that the governments of the two countries would be able to wrap up the Indo-US civil nuclear deal before the time runs out for poll-bound American Congress to ratify the pact and said it was trying to mobilise sup port in IAEA and NSG.

“We think we can move forward with this. If their legislature lets it move forward then we can do the same here and then we'll be able to get this wrapped up,” White House Press Secretary Ms Dana Perino said here reacting to the victory of Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh's government in the Parliamentary vote over the nuclear deal.

She said: “There aren't that many days left where Congress is going to be in session” and enough US lawmakers backed the pact to secure its ratification.

Ms Perino said the US-India civil nuclear arrangement is a good one for everybody.

“It's good for India because it would help provide them a source for energy that they need, one that is non-polluting and one that doesn't emit greenhouse gas emissions,” she said yesterday.

She noted that the US President Mr George W Bush and Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh discussed the nuclear deal when they met recently in Japan on the sidelines of the G-8 summit.

The National Security Council spokesperson Mr Gordon Johndroe also said that the US looked forward to continuing to work with India on the civil nuclear deal and further strengthening the strategic partnership.

Meanwhile, the State Department stressed that the Bush administration will not only be working domestically to get the arrangement finalised but also at the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group. - PTI

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