N-deal on right track: US

Allaying concerns in India over the nuclear deal, the US Monday said its implementation was on the "right track" and voiced confidence that the final legislation to give effect to it would be as envisaged by President George W Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Describing the deal as a "symbol" of what India and the US could do in the future, US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, however, said a lot of "hard work" was left to be done.

"The civil nuclear agreement is a symbol of what is possible in future... If we can cooperate in civil nuclear energy, we can cooperate on anything," he said at an interaction with Indian MPs and business leaders. He expressed confidence that the final American legislation on the deal would be as per the one envisaged by the leaders of the two countries. The implemenation of the agreement was "on track" and was "moving swiftly in the US Congress", Boucher said.

Pointing out that the US House of Representatives had already passed the legislation on the agreement with overwhelming majority, he said the Senate was expected to take up the legislation next month.

The two bills will then be reconciled before the final bill is prepared. Boucher said some amendments get added and some get dropped but no conclusions should be drawn till the final legislation is ready. "We want to know the final legislation," the US official said, and expressed confidence that the final bill will "reflect commitments" made by Bush and Singh.

"There is lot of hard work left, but we will get there as promised by the president and the prime minister," he said, pointing out that the Bush administration was working and will keep working with the Congress.