Nuke deal: Obama awaits new government's advent

The Obama Administration is awaiting the advent of the new government in India to engage New Delhi on the final implementation details of the US-India civilian nuclear deal, the Acting point person for South Asia at the US Department of State has said.

Patrick Moon, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Assian Affairs, speaking at the legislative conference of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin on Capitol Hill, said, "We are sort of awaiting for the new government to be formed to engage with the new Indian government."

"But all indications are that both sides are ready to move ahead. There are a number of steps which we both have to stake," he said, and acknowledged that "these steps will take some time as well."

Moon explained that "in particular, India still needs to bring the safeguards agreement with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) into force," and file a certificate of declaration with the IAEA.

He said that India also needs to allocate "reactor park sites for US companies and enact liability protection," which the American nuclear industry has been clamoring for with the US-India Business Council leading the charged.

Moon said that "these steps, which India has acknowledged would lead to India setting aside 10,000 megawatts of power reactors for the US involvement."

"India is now considering the sites for these reactors," he said. "And, then per our 123 Agreement, once India brings the safeguards agreement into force and files the facilities declaration," President Obama would be able to issue the licenses for US companies to engage in civilian nuclear trade with Indian entities.

Moon reiterated that the administration has been talking to the Indian government officials regarding taking the implementation details of the deal forward "and once the Indian government is in place, we expect to engage them on this and make progress on this."

With the resignation of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher, following the nomination of Robert Blake--currently US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and erstwhile Deputy Chief of Mission of the US embassy in New Delhi--to this position by Obama, Moon is holding the fort till Blake is confirmed by the US Senate.