We still have some time left to work on N-deal: US

External Affair Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who met President George W Bush at the White House and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice in Washington on Monday, said UPA government is “interested” in pursuing the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and that it was aware of the July timeline suggested by members of the US Congress.

He, however, stresed that the government will not move forward on the deal untill there is political consenus.

According to US officials, the deal should clear Congress by July as it will take its recess in August and many lawmakers will be busy campaigning for the November elections after that.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the main issue now “is the Indian government working its domestic politics.”

“I think as that you get further and further into the Congressional calendar, I think it’s fair to say it’s more and more difficult just because of the political realities of the press of business,” he said.

Mukherjee left Washington to New York on Tuesday afternoon while on his way back to India.