US Senators meet Mukherjee, talk N-deal

The Indo-US nuclear deal, stuck due to opposition of the Left parties, on Friday came up during a meeting two American senators had with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

A range of regional and international issues were discussed during the 30-minute meeting Senators Russel D Feingold and Robert P Casey Jr held with Mukherjee.

Asked whether the nuclear agreement came up during the deliberations, Feingold said the two sides discussed a wide range of issues including the deal.

"We also discussed recent developments in Pakistan, issues in Afghanistan as also Burma," he said after the meeting.

The issue of terrorism also figured in the meeting as the leaders deliberated on broad challenges faced by India and the United States, Casey said.

Feingold said the External Affairs Minister gave them "an excellent description of the region" and the two sides shared ideas to strengthen the strong and enduring relationship enjoyed by the two countries.

The nuclear deal has to receive the nod from the US Congress after India signs the safeguards agreement with the IAEA and gets exemption from the NSG guidelines to participate in international nuclear commerce.

The US has been insisting that the deal should reach the Congress by July.