The Hindu Business Line : `Indo-US nuclear deal on track'

Historic Deal
Agreement needs to be approved by the US Senate.
`Certain terrorist groups having designs against India still exist in Pakistan'

THE US ASSISTANT Secretary of State, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Mr Richard A. Boucher, with the FICCI President, Mr Saroj K. Poddar, at a meeting with Indian industry leaders in the Capital on Monday. — Kamal Narang

New Delhi , Aug. 7

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement is on track and slated to be taken up by the US Senate in September this year, the US Assistant-Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Mr Richard Boucher, said on Monday.

"The nuclear treaty is an extension of what we have done in the past and a symbol of what we can do in the future. The agreement is on track and is moving swiftly forward. The US Senate will examine the contents of the agreement in September and I am sure that it will be cleared in just the way it was entered into by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi," Mr Boucher said, addressing Members of Parliament and industrialists at a FICCI meet here.

The deal, under which India will get access to US nuclear fuel supplies and civilian nuclear equipment, was passed by the US House of Representatives last month. It now needs to be approved by the US Senate.

Speaking at the interaction, Mr Boucher expressed confidence that the final legislation would reflect the draft agreed to by both the countries. This comes in the wake of concerns raised by the Indian Government on some of the amendments that American Congressmen have proposed to the Bill.

On the issue of terrorism, Mr Boucher, who had earlier said in Washington that India did not have enough evidence to accuse Pakistan for the Mumbai blasts, acknowledged that certain terrorist groups having `designs' against India still exist in Pakistan. He pointed out that `things have advanced' since he made such remarks a few weeks ago.

Describing the July 11 Mumbai blasts as a `tragedy', Mr Boucher said, "You (people of India) have been hurt by terrorism repeatedly. You are determined to beat that...We remain your partners." He said the US was working with India and other countries of the region to try and beat terrorism.

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