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| PM, Bush discuss N-deal over phone | | |
New Delhi, Oct 16: Amid uncertainty over the fate of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, President George W Bush today called up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed the issue.
During the 10-minute conversation this evening, the two leaders also exchanged views on the stalled Doha round of WTO talks and developments relating to Pakistan and Afghanistan, External Affairs Ministry said.
The North Korean nuclear tests and the subsequent UN sanctions also came up for discussions.
With regard to the civil nuclear deal, Bush and Singh are understood to have discussed its future considering that the bill on it could not be taken up for vote by the US Senate during its last session last month, ahead of the November 7 Congressional elections.
The legislation could not be considered because of paucity of time and it is hoped that it will now be taken up during the brief `lame-duck` session after the Congressional elections.
If the bill is not taken up for vote during the `lame-duck` session, it will spill over to the next Congress which will convene in January next year and the entire process has to begin anew.
The legislation on the deal has already been passed by the House of Representatives.
The Prime Minister on Saturday said India had been assured by the Bush administration that it will use its influence to ensure that the bill goes through the Congress.
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