By NNN-PTI,
Washington : US said the civilian nuclear deal with India was currently at its top priority and the country placed it ahead of a similar agreement with Russia, which was presented in the American Congress this May.
Asked to comment on the future of the US-Russia nuclear agreement in the light of the developments in Georgia, White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto said on Monday the current focus of the administration was to see through the India-US deal, whose fate now rests with the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
“I think we have another nuclear agreement in the queue ahead of that (Russian deal), that we’re really focused on right now, and that’s the India civil nuclear agreement. And that’s generating a lot of work and time and energy on our part to get that done,” Fratto said.
“We were able to work that through the IAEA and now working with the NSG, and trying to get that through NSG, and eventually for presentation to our Congress,” he added.
The statement highlighting the priority accorded to the nuclear initiative with India came as Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon discussed with senior US officials in Washington the reservations expressed by some countries at the NSG over the draft waiver.
The two day meeting of the nuclear cartel in Vienna ended inconclusively. The second meeting is to be held mext month.
The Deputy Press Secretary was asked whether America intends to pull out of the US-Russia civilian nuclear agreement, given Russia’s military action in Georgia, or the deal would be completed by the end of the year.
“… With respect to our relationship across the board with Russia, we’re reviewing that. And we’ll think about it in terms of the mid-term and the long term, based on the choices that Russia makes,” Fratto said.