US will urge India to move forward with N-deal: Mulford

New Delhi, Dec 4: Asserting that the Indo-US nuclear deal would bring profound economic and non-proliferation benefits, the United States today said it would continue to encourage India to move forward to complete the process.

US Ambassador to India Davic C Mulford, while addressing the American Chamber of Commerce here, said Washington believed that this initiative was good for India, good for the world and for the United States.

He said the passage of the Hyde Act last year was an outstanding example of bi-partisan consensus and statesmanship within the US Congress at a time when its members were deeply divided along party lines on many important issues.

''Following the completion of the negotiations on the 123 agreement, we continue to encourage the Government of India to complete the process that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George Bush had delineated which, when completed, will bring profound economic and non-proliferation benefits,'' Mr Mulford said.

He said in the recent period, the US had been respectful of India's democratic process.

The US Ambassador also paid tributes to India's ''impressive economic growth'' and urged New Delhi to continue with economic reforms.

He said more is needed to be done in the insurance sector and pension reforms to continue with the economic growth.

UNI