Senator sees August hope for Indo-US nuke deal

While the debate over the deal on civilian nuclear cooperation is far from closed, and India continues with efforts to lobby support on either side of the political divide, Alexander suggested that India could help its cause by beginning safeguard negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA.

Alexander, co-sponsor of the amendment on the nuclear cooperation deal and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, 8216;8216;If India can negotiate safeguards with IAEA before the Senate acts on the agreement, it will help.8217;8217;

India has already begun informal talks with the IAEA on the voluntary safeguards agreement. Last week, Atomic Energy Commission chief Anil Kakodkar was in Vienna to hold preliminary talks on the issue with IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei.

The press conference was also addressed by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, and Republican Senators Michael Enzi and Johnny Isakson. The Senators are third in the group of Congressional delegations to India this month.

To a question, the Senators said the Iran nuclear issue would not be linked to the Indo-US nuclear deal as the two countries had a 8216;8216;singular, unique, two country relationship8217;8217; and when the matter when debated in the Senate it would focus on the agreement between the two countries.

As Isakson put it, India had been predictable throughout its nuclear programme and this would have a positive effect on the agreement. Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran also told the US policy makers today about India8217;s consistency in its policy of nuclear deterrence.