Nuke deal in US Congress: Saran to meet Burns today

Hearings on the civil nuclear deal over, India prefers the matter to be put to vote when the Congress reconvenes next month.

Hearings on the civil nuclear deal over, India prefers the matter to be put to vote when the Congress reconvenes next month. Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, on a visit to London, will make it clear to US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns tomorrow that the legislation has to be passed first.

Turning down suggestions from Washington that Congress will grant conditional approval until a bilateral cooperation agreement and an India-specific safeguards agreement is negotiated, official sources said, these are steps that will have to follow the passage of the legislation.

India feels there is bi-partisan support to the nuclear deal. The Senate is not much of a problem; it is the House of Representatives where Chairman Henry Hyde is yet to make up his mind.

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The two officials will also decide when the negotiating teams will meet. These meetings will add to the details that may help bring the India-specific legislation to vote by June-end. While the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group will discuss the exemption for India in its plenary meet later this month at Rio de Janeiro, the understanding in South Block is that the NSG will not move until the US passes the legislation.

Also India is in negotiations with the IAEA on firming up a safeguards agreement. While Congress wants more details on these negotiations, India feels it is important to move on the legislation while these talks continue.

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