Amidst uncertainty over the fate of the Indo-US nuclear deal, a senior Bush administration official has expressed the hope that the agreement would be ‘completed very soon’."We are working on the civil-nuclear cooperation, as I'm sure you are aware, and all of us in government are deeply grateful for the strong support the Indian-American community has shown for this initiative," Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns said in an address during the fifth annual White House Diwali celebration."I believe in the civil nuclear deal and I hope we will see it completed very soon," he said.Noting that he has been spending 'a lot of time' helping strengthen US-India relations, Burns, however, regretted that "my visits to India have not included the opportunity to celebrate this festival (Diwali).""I think the Diwali celebration offers parallels for the values and bridges that link the United States and India together culturally," he said.Talking about Ramayana, Burns said, "the epic can have many versions, but all are part of one shared story. It's a living example of the kind of cultural pluralism - on a truly grand scale - that makes India such a compelling example of democratic pluralism. This is such an important value, one shared by Americans and Indians alike, and one of the great strengths that underlie the US-India relationship. We share this value in our societies.”
