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| Bush admn will try addressing India's concerns in conference stage | | |
WASHINGTON, NOV 17
The Bush administration will try its best to address India's concerns at the time of the Conference Committee stage of the Congress as it is aware of the sensitivities in New Delhi to some of the provisions of the legislation passed by the two houses relating to the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.
The bill on the US-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement was adopted 85-12 by the 100-member Republican-controlled Senate after intense day-long debate today.
"I have had extensive conversations with Ambassador Saran about the sensitivities of Section 106 and 107... And what I have said is that is a law passed by Congress and we should all be pleased about it and grateful for it.
"We understand that there are some sensitivities and that we will work with India and with Congress to see if some of those of sensitivities can be dealt with at the Conference," Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns said in a Conference Call with a group of reporters.
"We look forward to the conference and we have our eye on some of these specific provisions and we will do our best. This is a very very good day, a positive day," Burns said.
The Senior State Department official also made it clear one more time that the civilian nuclear agreement with India is country specific and there are no plans to extend the same to a country like Pakistan.
"We made clear from the beginning of these negotiations with India that a similar arrangement with Pakistan is not going to be possible," Burns said in response to a query as to how Washington is going to placate Islamabad which is also seeking a similar arrangement.
"This is a unique agreement. India is a unique country and in its development of nuclear energy. We are treating as a unique agreement.The administration told the Congress that we would not be seeking a similar relief from American law to any other country. It is a specific agreement to India," Burns said.
He brushed aside the concern in some quarters that the civilian nuclear agreement will actually free up the fuel needed by India to make more nuclear weapons.
"This agreement will actually promote the agenda of non- proliferation by bringing the largest country which was outside the system inside the system. India has been a very responsible steward of its nuclear technology. It is a country that has been responsible for its own nuclear weapons;it has not used those nuclear weapons;it is a democratic country," he said.
In going forward with this agreement the US is not recognizing India formally and legally as a nuclear weapons power. It is simply trying to help India in civil nuclear power for the benefit of the more than one billion people, he said, adding "we don't see any proliferation downside. In fact we see a proliferation upside."
Asked if there are any concerns within the administration on the linkages law makers on Capitol Hill continue to bring about between Iran and India, Burns noted that one of the so-called killer amendments had been voted down in the United States Senate.
"There was one amendment that was voted down. I would just say this: India spoke twice. In September 2005, India voted with the United States at the IAEA Board of Governors to repudiate Iran for its nuclear enrichment technological programme; and in February of 2006, India voted a second time to repudiate the Iranian government. India led the way," Burns said.
"We believe that India had a very responsible policy towards Iran and has been in the mainstream of the countries calling for he Iranians not to develop nuclear weapons and to be more forthcoming with the IAEA," he added.
Taking a look at the Calendar for the civil nuclear legisation and beyond, Burns said the Conferees of the House and the Senate are due to get together in the early part of December and that he is planning a trip to India in the middle of that month.
He said he is confident that I ndia and the United States will proceed "briskly" in concluding the so-called 123 Agreement and Washington will be helping New Delhi as far as the Nuclear Supplier's Group is concerned.
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