IndiaPost.com - India N-deal is top priority, says Rice

WASHINGTON: The US has said the Indo-US nuclear deal, whose fate now rests with the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, is currently the country's "principal focus" on the civil nuclear front. Asked whether developments in Georgia will affect the US-Russia civilian nuclear deal, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the present focus of America's nuclear commerce policy was the India deal and not the one with Russia.

"Our principle focus right now has been on the India civil nuclear deal, having worked through the IAEA, now working through the NSG, and still trying to get into a position to make the appropriate presidential determinations in early September. So that's our focus right now on the civil nuclear side," Rice said on her way to Tel Aviv.

Commenting on the recent developments in the Caucasus region and Russia's support to the breakaway region of US ally Georgia, Rice said US is keen to ensure that no independent states emerge in Europe. She, however, did not state clearly as to whether the US-Russia civil nuclear deal, which has already been presented to the Congress, would be affected by Russian military action in Georgia. "... We're going to continue to review what we will do about the various elements of the relationship with Russia.

As you know, we've been very focused on what to do for Georgia. We've been making certain that there's a clear message that there aren't going to be any new lines in Europe," Rice said. "And we've been very focused on getting the Russians to live up to the obligations that they undertook to (French) President Sarkozy, not all of which have been yet fulfilled," she said.

In Washington, White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto reiterated the current focus of the administration was to see through the India-US deal. "We were able to work that through the IAEA and now working with the NSG, and trying to get that through NSG, and eventually for presentation to our Congress," he added.

The statement highlighting the priority accorded to the nuclear initiative with India came as Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon discussed with senior US officials in Washington the reservations expressed by some countries at the NSG over the draft waiver. The two day meeting of the nuclear cartel in Vienna ended inconclusively.

The second meeting is to be held next month. The Deputy Press Secretary was asked whether America intends to pull out of the US-Russia civilian nuclear agreement, given Russia's military action in Georgia, or the deal would be completed by the end of the year. "... With respect to our relationship across the board with Russia, we're reviewing that. And we'll think about it in terms of the mid-term and the long term, based on the choices that Russia makes," Fratto said.