New Delhi, May 29
India has enough reason to feel confident that the US Congress will pass the much-awaited legislation approving the Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation deal by next month end.
Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran met Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns in London on May 24 over on informal dinner and had formal talks with him the following day. During the talks, Mr Burns apprised him of the steps the Bush Administration had taken and was taking to make sure that Washington honours its part of the July 18, 2005, commitment on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
During these talks, Mr Burns also told him that the US and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be sending technical teams to India soon to discuss steps which are to be taken after the US Congress passes the legislation. Though no specific dates of the two delegations’ visit here are decided yet, it is understood that it would be some time next month.
The Saran-Burns talks were not in nature of negotiations. Rather, the two senior officials updated each other of the work done by their respective governments on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Mr Burns is also understood to have reiterated Washington’s commitment to muster support for India at the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group’s five-day plenary session which opened in Brasilia today. India has already been promised support at the NSG by three other P5 countries — UK, France and Russia — and is expecting countries like Germany to play a positive role.
China’s role would be interesting to watch. The Indian sense is that the Chinese would not be taking an openly negative stand on the Indo-US nuclear deal despite their strong reservations. Instead, Beijing may sit quietly on the margins and egg on other powers, like the Scandinavian countries, to scuttle the Indo-US nuke deal.
Mr Shyam Saran is leaving for Moscow shortly after May 30-31 midnight to finalise the agenda for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s participation in the G-8 summit there in July. During his stay in Moscow for two days, Mr Saran is also likely to meet Mr Igor Shuvalov, top presidential aide and Russia’s
pointsman for the G-8 summit.
During his Moscow visit, the Indo-US nuclear deal is bound to come up for discussions. India is already preparing a presentation to the G-8 countries, all of which are influential members of the NSG, to persuade them to relax rules of global nuclear commerce with India.
