Even as Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran prepared to visit the United States, the proposed Indo-US nuclear deal received a setback at the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. There were some concerns that it sets a precedent that will lead to a further unravelling of the treaty. However, the US was not worried.
Meanwhile, Saran held meetings with the Bush administration officials. As the issue is being discussed in Congress, Saran was expected to have highlighted New Delhi's impeccable record on non-proliferation front.
Saran also met with Gary Ackerman, Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. Ackerman said he supports the deal but that much work still needs to be done for the agreement to be approved by the House and the Senate. India has also been warned by Tom Lantos, the ranking Democrat on the powerful House International Relations Committee, that its alleged training of Iranian troops could hinder Congressional approval of the deal.
For his part, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that it is now for the US to take the nuclear deal forward.
Image: Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran speaking at Washington's Heritage Foundation on Indo-US Relations: An Agenda for the Future on March 30.
Photograph: Kiran Jagga
Also Read: The Indo-US Nuclear Tango