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"We now are in the vanguard. We're the leading country that will support the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in making an international case that all nations should engage in nuclear trade with India. That cannot happen without the US, because that NSG, of which we are a leading member, has to decide by a consensus," the top US negotiator for the deal Nicholas Burns said.
"The Indian Government is not suggesting this, but in your worst-case scenario, if there was an attempt to say 'well, we're going to forget about the deal with the US, but go forward', it couldn't happen, because the NSG wouldn't make the decision in that case," Burns, who is the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, said responding to a question.
Amid reports that New Delhi could abandon the US deal to engage in civil nuclear trade with other nations, Burns maintained it was "impossible" because what has to happen has to happen in Washington.
Stressing that the timelines were "short" to firm up the deal, Burns said: "I think the Indian Government is quite sincere in wanting to push this agreement forward. There's obviously a question of politics within the Indian Coalition, and we don't want to interfere in internal affairs to the coalition in India." "But we do know this, as Senator (Joseph) Biden said last week and I think as Secretary Gates said when he was in India two days ago: time is very short," Biden said.
The top US official said: "Senator Biden had explained that for the US Congress to make a final vote on this issue in 2008, the entire agreement must land on the doorstep of the Congress by May or June of this year.
"If you back up from there, that means that the IAEA agreement must be made within a week or two, and it means the NSG would have to begin acting in the month of March. So there are very short timelines here, and I'm afraid it's time for the government to decide," he said.
Stating that the deal was "in the interest of both the US and India" and that it enjoyed "strong support from Russia, from France, and even from the Chinese Government", Burns said "if India is to be given this great victory,.. there has to be a courageous decision made by the government to move forward.
We hope that decision will be positive".
At a briefing at the Washington Press Centre, Burns highlighted the role of United States in "bringing India out of nuclear isolation.
"India has not been able to trade in civil nuclear fuel or nuclear reactor technology for well over 35 years because of international sanctions against India, because of the activities that caused the beginning of the Indian nuclear programme in the 1970s," Burns said.
"The United States now for the last three years has led the way to say: 'let's bring India out of its nuclear isolation.' We were able to convince Congress to pass an American law that would allow American companies to trade with India for the first time since the 1970s," he said.
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RatingHere we GO again,the commie muppets,crassly misguided,jumping up and down chest beating and deluding themselves with FANTASY.Do not forgetfor the REST of 21st Century ther will be ONLY and ONLY one HYPER POWER, that is USA. India will do well to allie with that power because the social and economics benefits wiil be quantum.Do not get too excited about the China factor, China wiil still be a Liliput, comapred to USA'S might, so cool down and get real. India has little choice but to form a strategic alliance, this will come sooner or later, whether you communist like it or not
There is an urgent need for India to cooly scrutinise the theme of the statement made by the US about the Indo-Us nuclear deal, because the words can be misleading some time. Without getting unnecessarily provoked, Indian government should consider the whole issue dispassionately. There is no question of India getting pressurised, bullied or threatened by the US, because the US know to well that India is a democratic soverign Republic which can not be pushed aside by any unfair diplomatic means. It is in the interest of both US and India that the ongoing Indo-US nuclear deal, 123 Agreement is finalised at the earliest. India is in dire need of nuclear energy to augment country's economic, agricultural, industrial, technical and scientific progress. Our reactors are lying starved for the nuclear fuel, uranium which will become available once he NSG regime is satisfied. The whole issue is being dealt with, diplomatically by the UPA government and congress President Sonia Gandhi has no role to play in it.
The Indian Govt. will ofcourse give its considered views once it has had time to properly digest Burn's now or never ultimatum for India to stick to the US time table for concluding the nuclear deal entered with it. Burn's language is a blatant and naked blackmail. Barely 60 years had gone by since India had won its independance from Britain. It is about time for the US Govt to realise that India would not be pulled back into colonial statehood through politics of nuclear energy.The assured supply of uranium fuel would no doubt be highly welcome to the fuel starved nuclear reactors but that should not become the criterion for placing India under American suzerainty, faced as it is with expansionist nuclear neighbours. Perhaps American power will guarantee India's security by bringing it under its nuclear umbrella? That does inciendtally possess a familiar ring of the 17th century colonial formations. The hopes and feelings of 1.2 billion people simply cannot be wished away, Mr Burns!
Splendidly put ! I for one salute your courage to pen this and can only hope that the political class will also see the point of view so cogently expressed by you.
I believe that India need to solve energy crisis by having nuclear energy. But should not fall in any trap, the deal with USA should not be not under any terms like hyde act etc. If they are proposing the deal with sincere approch there is no need of any perticular act. Basically no deal should sign with any other country under thier terms and pressure so that we will never regret about our integrity
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