US fast-tracks nuclear deal

Days after the NS Group meets in Vienna on August 21-22 to give India a clean waiver to move ahead on the nuclear deal, the United States Congress is likely to discuss it in September, reports Nagendar Sharma.

Days after the Nuclear Suppliers Group meets in Vienna on August 21-22 to give India a clean waiver to move ahead on the nuclear deal, the United States Congress is likely to discuss it in September.

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The U. S. government has stepped up its “diplomatic offensive”, with President George W. Bush and Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, themselves talking to the NSG member countries to provide India a “clean exemption” to facilitate the civilian nuclear deal between the two countries, its ambassador David C. Mulford said on Tuesday.

Mulford said the government wanted to submit the legislation for ratification of the deal by early September to the Congress to give it sufficient time for consideration.

In a telephonic press conference from the US, Mulford said the Bush administration was working with the Indian government to finalise the draft for NSG members.

He said the administration understood India would not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and discussions on the deal had proceeded on this assumption.