US walks the nuclear talk, India pleased
Manmohan said: "We have had a very constructive and productive meeting", reports S Rajagopalan.
Following US President George W Bush’s intervention, India and the US have succeeded in making a forward push on the vexed issue of civilian nuclear cooperation.
While details were still awaited, agency reports quoted highly placed sources as saying that Washington has agreed to provide fuel for the Tarapur atomic power plant. But no confirmation was immediately forthcoming.
Joint statement
A joint statement, slated to be issued immediately after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting with Bush, got delayed as the two sides were busy sorting out a few glitches.
Singh himself expressed satisfaction over the manner the nuclear curbs issue had been sorted out. “The issue has been addressed in a manner which gives me great satisfaction,” he said at a joint media appearance after the meeting with Bush at the Oval Office. “We have had a very constructive and productive meeting. I thank the president on his personal role and interest in facilitating resolution of this complex problem.”
During his brief remarks on the issue, Bush was emphatic that Monday’s successful completion of the NSSP (Next Steps in Strategic Partnership) would enhance US-India cooperation in civilian nuclear and space and high-technology commerce.
On permanent membership of the UNSC
The issue of India’s bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council was raised prominently by Singh, who spoke of New Delhi’s compelling case to take its place in the most powerful organ of the world body.
Although Bush made no overt reference to the issue, Singh said: “The president and I were of one mind that the contemporary reality should be duly reflected in the central organs and decision-making processes of the UN.”
On Kashmir issue
On Kashmir, Bush said Washington’s policy of respecting sanctity of LoC between India and Pakistan had not changed and the Kashmir issue had to be resolved by the two countries.
The two leaders also participated in the inaugural deliberations of the Indo-US CEOs forum.