WASHINGTON: In a major breakthrough, India and the US have reached an understanding on an agreement that will operationalise the civil nuclear deal overcoming differences over issues like reprocessing and uninterrupted supply of fuel.
A formal announcement on clinching of the deal has been put off till completion of the political process.
"We have basically finalized the text (of the agreement) but the document cannot be divulged" as it has to be approved by the Indian Cabinet, a senior Indian official told PTI after four days of intense official-level negotiations on 123 Agreement which will operationalise the civil nuclear deal. Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and US Undersecretary of State Nicolas Burns held tough discussions to resolve differences on issues like reprocessing right for India and fate of the deal if New Delhi were to conduct nuclear tests in future.
National Security Advisor M K Narayanan also met Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and US National Security Advisor Stephen P Hadley. State Department spokesman Tom Casey was asked why it was that the US is not prepared to discuss publicly the issues that are at stake in the talks on the civilian nuclear accord.
"We sure will. And just like any other diplomatic negotiation, when an agreement is concluded, that will be a public document. It will have full review, I'm sure, by appropriate committees and members of Congress, as well as by you guys and other interested members of the public" Casey said. The differences had arisen after India insisted on the right to reprocess the spent fuel which the US was reluctant to agree.
India last month offered to set up a dedicated reprocessing facility under IAEA safeguards, which apparently helped break the logjam. New Delhi has also been underlining the criticality of US ensuring uninterrupted fuel supplies even if it were to conduct nuclear tests.
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