India tells US: Can't hold up N-deals with other nations for long

The Economic Times
Sep 17, 2008

NEW DELHI: India is putting subtle diplomatic pressure on the US, telling Washington it was not prepared to put its agreements on nuclear cooperation with other countries on hold indefinitely unless it acts to get early approval by Congress on the bilateral 123 agreement. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to meet US President George W. Bush in Washington on September 25. There is a growing optimism in both the capitals that the nuclear deal may be ready for signature when the two leaders meet. But this can happen only if the agreement that is now before the US Congress gets the final approval through an "up-down" vote in both the US House of Representatives and the Senate. "Though India has put its agreements with other countries on nuclear cooperation on hold, it cannot be seen as an open-ended wait," official sources said.