ID :
13584
Wed, 07/23/2008 - 18:20
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http://m.oananews.org//node/13584
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US hopes to wrap up N-deal before time runs out
Washington, Jul 23 (PTI) The United States is hopeful that the governments of the two countries would be able to wrap up the Indo-U.S. civil nuclear deal before the time runs out for poll-bound American Congress to ratify the pact and said it was trying to mobilise support in IAEA and N.S.G.
"We think we can move forward with this. If their legislature lets it move forward then we can do the same here and then we'll be able to get this wrapped up," White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said here reacting to the victory of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government in the Parliamentary vote over the nuclear deal.
She said: "there aren't that many days left where Congress is going to be in session" and enough U.S. lawmakers backed the pact to secure its ratification.
Perino said the U.S.-India civil nuclear arrangement is a good one for everybody. "It's good for India because it would help provide them a source for energy that they need, one that is non-polluting and one that doesn't emit greenhouse gas emissions," she said Tuesday.
She noted that U.S. President George W. Bush and PrimeMinister Manmohan Singh discussed the nuclear deal when they met recently in Japan on the sidelines of the G-8 summit.
National Security Council spokesperson Gordon Johndroe also said that the U.S. looked forward to continuing to work with India on the civil nuclear deal and further strengthening the strategic partnership.
Meanwhile, the State Department stressed that the Bushadministration will not only be working domestically to get the arrangement finalised but also at the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Acting Spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said although theCongressional calendar is very tight, the administration will be moving forward on this deal quickly.
"We look forward to continuing to work with the government of India to move forward the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative. This initiative represents a unique opportunity to assist India in meeting its growing energy needs, while bolstering the overall nonproliferation regime and strengthening U.S.-India ties," Gallegos said.
The next step in this process is for India's safeguardsagreement to be approved by the IAEA's Board of Governors. And the U.S. looks forward to an August 1st meeting of the board and strongly support approval of the agreement at that time.
"We continue, obviously, to support this. We're going to be working with our folks here in the U.S. to move forward with it, go step by step, but we'll see how long the calendar gives us and whether or not we're able to continue forward," he said.
The U.S. is holding discussions with IAEA board members. Some are still reviewing the safeguards agreement.
"I understand the secretary will be given a technical briefing on the agreement in the coming days, and we'll see how we'll proceed from there. I'm confident our support for this and that we hope to help it move forward." he added.
Asked if Washington is making efforts at the N.S.G., Gallegos said: "obviously, this is something that we've been looking at for a long time. We're going to continue to work towards it".
He said even if the IAEA and the N.S.G. gave their approval to the deal, it would still have to be approved by the United States Congress.
"We're going to be communicating to the Hill how important we believe this measure is for the United States, how important we believe that this strategic partnership will be for India, for us, and for others concerned with security around the world. And we'll do so as quickly as we can," the Acting Spokesman said.
"We think we can move forward with this. If their legislature lets it move forward then we can do the same here and then we'll be able to get this wrapped up," White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said here reacting to the victory of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government in the Parliamentary vote over the nuclear deal.
She said: "there aren't that many days left where Congress is going to be in session" and enough U.S. lawmakers backed the pact to secure its ratification.
Perino said the U.S.-India civil nuclear arrangement is a good one for everybody. "It's good for India because it would help provide them a source for energy that they need, one that is non-polluting and one that doesn't emit greenhouse gas emissions," she said Tuesday.
She noted that U.S. President George W. Bush and PrimeMinister Manmohan Singh discussed the nuclear deal when they met recently in Japan on the sidelines of the G-8 summit.
National Security Council spokesperson Gordon Johndroe also said that the U.S. looked forward to continuing to work with India on the civil nuclear deal and further strengthening the strategic partnership.
Meanwhile, the State Department stressed that the Bushadministration will not only be working domestically to get the arrangement finalised but also at the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Acting Spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said although theCongressional calendar is very tight, the administration will be moving forward on this deal quickly.
"We look forward to continuing to work with the government of India to move forward the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative. This initiative represents a unique opportunity to assist India in meeting its growing energy needs, while bolstering the overall nonproliferation regime and strengthening U.S.-India ties," Gallegos said.
The next step in this process is for India's safeguardsagreement to be approved by the IAEA's Board of Governors. And the U.S. looks forward to an August 1st meeting of the board and strongly support approval of the agreement at that time.
"We continue, obviously, to support this. We're going to be working with our folks here in the U.S. to move forward with it, go step by step, but we'll see how long the calendar gives us and whether or not we're able to continue forward," he said.
The U.S. is holding discussions with IAEA board members. Some are still reviewing the safeguards agreement.
"I understand the secretary will be given a technical briefing on the agreement in the coming days, and we'll see how we'll proceed from there. I'm confident our support for this and that we hope to help it move forward." he added.
Asked if Washington is making efforts at the N.S.G., Gallegos said: "obviously, this is something that we've been looking at for a long time. We're going to continue to work towards it".
He said even if the IAEA and the N.S.G. gave their approval to the deal, it would still have to be approved by the United States Congress.
"We're going to be communicating to the Hill how important we believe this measure is for the United States, how important we believe that this strategic partnership will be for India, for us, and for others concerned with security around the world. And we'll do so as quickly as we can," the Acting Spokesman said.
