US hopeful of concluding N-deal under Bush administration

As uncertainty looms large over the fate of the civil nuclear deal, the US on Thursday said its relations with India would "not rise or fall" on a single issue even as it remained hopeful of wrapping up the agreement under the Bush Administration.

"The US-India agenda is well beyond this administration ...The US civil nuclear deal hopefully will come together as our relationship has moved beyond a single event", said Under Secretary for International Affairs in the US Treasury Department David McCormick while delivering a talk on "The State of the Global Markets" in New Delhi.

Expressing the hope that the civil nuclear deal could go through during the tenure of President George Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said, "it is critical that the relationship does not rise and fall on a single event." The Presidential election process is underway in the US and will be completed by the year-end.

Implementation of the nuclear deal has run into rough weather because of stiff opposition by the Left parties, which extend crucial outside support to the UPA government. Operationalisation of the deal is three crucial steps away -- firming up of India-IAEA safeguards agreement, waiver by 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group to India for trade with international community and a final vote by the US Congress.

McCormick said there was support for the civil nuclear deal in the US and "we want to move forward." Referring to environmental issues, he said the US was ready to adopt post-Kyoto binding commitments on green house gas emissions, but emerging economies would also have to do their bit to fight the menace of global climate change. "We have to find a model" to meet the global environmental challenge, he added. (PTI)

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