IndiaPost.com - US still hopeful on implementation of nuclear deal

WASHIMGTON: With India virtually putting the Indo-US nuclear deal on hold in view of Left's reservations, Washington has hoped that New Delhi would continue its efforts to implement the agreement "in a time that is appropriate for both sides".

Without disclosing the details of the conversation US President George W Bush had with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the State Department said the deal was "positive" and "good" for both the countries as well as for the broader efforts of non-proliferation. "... It's up to the Government of India to talk about their efforts.

Again, I think we're going to continue to work on our part and we assume they're going to continue to work on theirs and it'll be done in a time that is appropriate for both sides," Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey told reporters after the two leaders spoke over phone.

Asserting that the US continues to support the agreement, the spokesman said one of things the Indian Government needed to do on its side to implement the agreement was to work with the IAEA and establish a safeguards arrangement. "On our side, we'd of course need to work out an appropriate arrangement with the Nuclear Suppliers Group. And certainly we want to see that get accomplished. But again in terms of the timing and the discussions internally within the Indian political system, I'll leave that to them," Casey said. "...I think what you can assume from that is that we continue to support this agreement...," the senior US State Department official noted.

Casey said the arrangement was positive for both countries and the broader international community and "we'd like to see it done as soon as possible, but that's within the context of what each country has to do and has to accomplish." "I'll leave it to Indian officials to talk about their own internal political discussions on this.

As you know, we believe that this a arrangement that is a positive one and a good one for the United States, for India and for the broader efforts of nonproliferation." Earlier on Monday morning a spokesperson of the National Security Council maintained that a conversation between Bush and Singh, who is on a five-day two-nation tour of Africa, was "not on the schedule".

But later in the evening the two talked over phone where the Prime Minister explained to Bush that "certain difficulties have arisen with respect to the operationalisation of the India-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement," a release issued by Prime Minister's Media Advisor Sanjaya Baru said. Casey said "...Each one of these agreements is complicated.

They've got a whole variety of things associated with them. I'm not going to try and tell the Indians how to manage their own internal process on this. " ... I'll let other people do the Indian political analysis for you. We believe this is an important arrangement. I think it will be good for both sides, once it's implemented. And in terms of the timing and the process internally in India, I'll just defer to the Indians on it," the senior Administration official said.