By KUNA
New Delhi : The US Wednesday expressed confidence that the civilian nuclear deal with India could be concluded within the timeframe. Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, who held talks with Indian officials here over the last two days, today said: “The time is short… The time is tight, very tight and there is lot of work to be done.”
Addressing a press conference here today, Boucher said India should conclude the Safeguards Agreement with IAEA and approach the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) by this May to enable the US Congress to go for a final vote on the agreement. “We can make that happen,” an optimistic Boucher said. He also expressed confidence that the NSG would favour India as the nuclear deal. On whether the Hyde Act would have any implications on Indo-US nuclear cooperation, Boucher said it was a US domestic legislation which determined what Washington can do. “The fundamental purpose of Hyde Act is to allow us to conclude the arrangement that we have finalised and that is what we are doing, ” he added. “What we do as per our law is completely consistent with what we are doing with India in terms of international agreement,” Boucher said.
He said he also discussed with Indian officials the steps to deepen relations in various fields.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said in Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament) that his government was attempting to arrive at a domestic political consensus on the India-US nuclear deal.