By IANS
New Delhi : The US “continues to encourage” New Delhi to complete the process of taking forward the nuclear deal, which will be “good for India, good for the world and good for the US”, US Ambassador to India David C. Mulford said Tuesday.
In cautious remarks that took recognition of the debate on the nuclear deal in the upper house of Indian parliament, the US envoy said the US was “respectful of India’s democratic process and will continue to be”, but reminded New Delhi of the strong bipartisan support for the enabling Hyde Act passed by the US Congress last year.
“Our belief is that this initiative is good for India, good for the world and good for the US,” Mulford told business leaders and media at a function here to felicitate him for getting a top US award for exemplary diplomatic service.
“Following the completion of negotiations on the 123 agreement, we continue to encourage the government of India’s move forward to complete the process that President (George) Bush and Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh have delineated and which when completed will bring profound economic and non-proliferation benefits,” he said.
In an oblique comment on the split opinion in the Indian parliament over the India-US nuclear deal, the US envoy lauded the passage of the Hyde Act in the US Congress last year, providing waiver from the US Atomic Energy Act, 1954, to enable nuclear commerce with India, as an “outstanding example of bi-partisan consensus and statesmanship”.
The US Congress passed the Hyde Act, Mulford pointed out, “at a time when its members were deeply divided along party lines on many important issues”.
He, however, refused to answer a question on the timeline for making operational the nuclear deal and for approaching the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group as the deal was being debated in the Indian parliament. “This is an important day when the debate is taking place in parliament,” he said.
The function was organised by the American Chamber of Commerce and the US Embassy to felicitate Mulford on being conferred the state department’s inaugural Sue M. Cobb Award for exemplary diplomatic service, which is presented to a non-career ambassador who uses private sector skills in advancing the US foreign policy.