By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : With the Bush administration pushing hard to get the Congressional nod for the Indo-US nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said he was looking forward to discussions on the entire range of bilateral issues, including the civil nuclear initiative.
“I look forward to my discussions with him (US President George W Bush) on the entire range of issues on our bilateral agenda with the United States, including our civil nuclear initiative,” he said before embarking on a 10-day visit to the US and France.
He said in recent years Indo-US relations have expanded significantly in areas of mutual interest such as education, trade, business, technology, energy and agriculture.
“The engagement between the two countries has strengthened and we are pursuing the multi-faceted cooperation to our mutual benefit,” he said.
With just few working days left for the US Congress to take a call on the 123 agreement to clear the decks for the nuke deal in its last lap, the White House is optimistic of wrapping up the pact during Singh’s working visit to Washington on September 25 for a meeting with Bush.
Singh’s first diplomatic engagement abroad after the crucial waiver that ended the country’s 34-year nuclear isolation may also see India and France firm up an agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation after summit talks with President Nicholas Sarkozy in Paris on September 30.