We cannot go beyond our commitment to Parl: Pranab

Pranab Mukherjee has made it clear that Govt cannot go 'beyond' its commitment to Parl on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Amid uncertainty over India getting NSG waiver for nuclear commerce, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has made it clear that Government cannot go 8216;beyond8217; its commitment to Parliament on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

As tough negotiations were held in Vienna at the meeting of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group NSG on Thursday to consider waiver for India, the minister was unwilling to prognosticate on the outcome which is expected to be known by Friday.

8220;There is no room for speculation,8221; he told All India Radio adding Government will have to wait for the outcome.

8220;We cannot go beyond our commitment to Parliament, commitment made by the Prime Minister and commitment made by ourselves. Therefore, whatever we have committed to it, it will have to achieve within that,8221; he said.

His comments come close on the heels of the controversial disclosures of the US position on the nuclear deal which gave ammunition to the BJP and the Left to attack the Government.

The minister said Government has seen the US draft for which amendments were sought. 8220;The draft if it is agreed by the NSG is OK for us,8221; he said.

Asked whether India was ready to accommodate changes in the draft, Mukherjee said, 8220;we are committed to our commitment to Indian Parliament. Therefore, we have tried to meet our commitment made by our Prime Minister, made by me, in all the documents which we have entered into in connection with the civil nuclear cooperation8221;.

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These included the 123 Agreement between India and the US, the India-specific safeguards agreement with IAEA and also in the draft circulated by the US to the NSG countries.

The minister did not want to speculate on whether the US Congress will have enough time to approve the agreement.

8220;That will depend on the calender of the US Congress,8221; he said adding 8216;they are to decide, not we8217;.

Asked whether Indo-US relations would be impacted if the NSG does not approve the waiver for India, he said 8220;our relationship is not uni-dimensional or uni-directional. We have relationship on many other areas8221;.

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Mukherjee sounded optimistic on the Indo-US strategic relationship moving forward irrespective of whoever occupies the White House after the upcoming Presidential elections.

8220;I do feel that whoever occupies the office of President after the election, the relationship between India and the US will steadily develop,8221; he said.