Expressing concern that India has been prevented from accessing high technology commerce because of its position on the nuclear issue, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday hoped the matter would be resolved. Earlier in the day he hinted that the Government was trying to seal the Indo-US nuclear deal in its tenure. “India has remained isolated for a long time from high technology commerce due to its position on nuclear energy. We hope to resolve this,” he said addressing the 87th annual general meeting of the Associated Chambers of Commerce (ASSOCHAM) here.Though he did not elaborate, his remarks were a reference to the Government’s efforts to implement the Indo-US civil nuclear deal that will lead to an end to 34-year-old technology denial regime. However, when asked about the fate of the deal in the light of the Left parties’ resistance, Mukherjee said in Chennai earlier in the day that there was no timeframe to operationalise the nuclear deal but the UPA Government was trying to complete the process within its tenure. “It is difficult to indicate any specific time,” he said.Mukherjee also said the Government is still discussing the issue of oil price rise and the Cabinet might take a view on it in its meeting schedule for Wednesday, provided the issue finds a place in its agenda. “I have not seen the agenda for Thursday’s Cabinet meeting but the Government is seriously discussing the rise in prices of LPG and other petroleum products,” he said.He said that the country’s emergence as an important global player entrusts it with certain responsibilities. “We need to support the economic integration process in our neighbourhood and beyond. For this, good governance is the key,” Mukherjee added.
