Bush to continue pushing nuke deal: Mulford

Amid expectation that the bill on Indo-US civil nuclear deal would be taken up by the Senate in the 'lame-duck' session in November, Washington Friday said the Bush Administration will keep on pushing for conclusion of the process even if it pilfers into the next Congress.

US Ambassador David C Mulford also expressed confidence that differences between India and his country over issues like conduct of nuclear tests by India in the future would be resolved amicably under the bilateral nuclear agreement, also called 123 agreement.

The administration is committed to push the bill and will continue following up, he told reporters about the legislation which is before the Senate but could not be put to vote due to technical reasons and "time ran out".

The Senate term ended on September 27 and Congressional polls are to be held on November 7. The Senate will meet after the elections for a brief 'lame-duck' session when the bill is expected to be taken up for voting.

There may be delay in concluding the agreement because of the Congressional process but there is no reduction in commitment, Mulford said.

He noted that the agreement enjoys strong bipartisan support and that members of both the ruling Republican and opposition Democratic Party would want to be on the right side of history and India. However, if the Congressional process and signing by the President do not take place during the term of the present Congress, the entire process will be taken up again from the start when the next Congress is formed in January next year, he said.

"We (the US administration) pledge to defend and push the deal" even if it goes into the next Congress, Mulford said, adding he could not, however, say that there will be no amendments.

With regard to differences between India and the US over issues like future nuclear testing by New Delhi, he said such matters have to be dealt with one way or the other under the 123 agreement.

"I am confident that these issues can be dealt with," he said. If these are incorporated as amendments in the bill on the deal it will be difficult to resolve but if these are in the 123 agreement, it would be easier, the envoy said. He emphasised that the process of bringing about change in the Indo-US relations, that will be reflected by the civil nuclear agreement, has to end now.

Mulford rejected former US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott's contention that the nuclear deal was not perfect. "The deal is the best that could be struck by the two sides... It is finely balanced deal reached after friendly and positive negotiations," he said. The deal was negotiated in the pratical terms and the result was "sustainable", he said.

Describing the deal as a "very special initiative" for India, he said it was a one-time exception for New Delhi which Washington was not doing for anybody else.

On the F-16 fighter deal with Pakistan, Mulford disagreed that it would be a major disruptive issue between India and the US. He insisted that the Indian government has been kept informed at every step about the deal first notified in March last year.