India not bound by Hyde Act: Feigenbaum

Express news service Posted: Apr 03, 2008 at 0130 hrs
Kolkata, April 02 US Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Evan A Feigenbaum has said that India will not be bound by the American Hyde Act.

“India, however, will not be bound by the Hyde Act. It will be bound only by the nuclear agreement,” he said on the sidelines of a function in the city on Wednesday.

“The nuclear deal will be a good deal for both India and the US. It will help address the issue of energy security at a time of rising global demand. It will also address the issue of non-proliferation of (nuclear weapons),” he said.

He refused to comment on the Left’s ante to the bilateral agreement and said: “Political issues in India are its own domestic affairs and political issues in the US are affairs of the US.” Feigenbaum also expressed concern over the violence in Tibet and urged for restoration of peace. “We are concerned about the violence in Tibet,” he said. He said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed the matter with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee during the latter’s recent visit to Washington.