N-deal with India: US can’t afford to fail, says ex-envoy

‘‘If this (Indo-US nuclear deal) was a failure, my own believe, my personal judgment is that it would be a set back for the evolution of US-India strategic partnership for many years to come,’’Blackwill said.

Blackwill,the American Ambassador to India from 2001 to 2003 was delivering a lecture on ‘‘The Transformation in US-India Relations and the July 18 Civil Nuclear Agreement.’’ The meeting was organised by the US India Business Council. ‘‘The failure would be very damaging for US prospects,’’ Blackwill said, before a select gathering at the US Chamber of Commerce building facing White House.

Making a strong case for the passage of the appropriate legislation by the Congress that would approve what he said as the historic Indo-US nuclear deal, Blackwill said India was an emerging global power— saw in this agreement a ‘‘litmus test’’ for the US foreign relationship towards India.

With respect to foreign countries carrying out without dwelling into past and giving specific examples, Blackwill said India had a long history of suspicion (against the US foreign policy). In the implementation of this nuclear deal, India saw this as a long term strategic commitment from the US, he observed.

Blackwill felt that things would move at a good pace in the next couple of months: India coming out with detailed plan for its separation of civilian and military nuclear facilities and the legislation being placed before the Congress.