123 agreement to be presented in US Congress in next few days

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) With the Nuclear Suppliers Group (N.S.G.) granting waiver to India, the 123 agreement is expected to be presented before the American Congress in the next few days for its approval, required as the final step to conclude the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal.

Ambassador David Mulford today said the 123 agreement could be signed during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the U.S. later this month if the pact is passed by the Congress by then.

He told reporters here that the "bipartisan" support that was there in the U.S. Congress during the passage of 123 agreement last year still exists and hoped for an early approval of the pact by the American legislature by an 'up-and-down' vote.

If the agreement is not passed by the U.S. Congress
during its current session which ends on September 26, there
is possibility of a 'lame-duck' session after the Presidential
polls in November, he said.

"We are now in the final phase... The 123 agreement is to
be presented before the US Congress. That process is ongoing.
We hope to do it in the next few days and then hope for
action (by the Congress)," Mulford said.

He said senior officials of the U.S. Administration are
engaged in a dialogue with the key leaders of the Congress
with regard to the introduction of the agreement.

On the requirement of 30-day notice for introduction of
any document in the U.S. Congress for approval, he said there
has been a precedent of waiving this requirement. (MORE) PTI