'US-Indo N-deal to advance nonproliferation goals'

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Washington, Mar 11: US President George W Bush, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and other top officials will be personally engaged with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in the coming weeks, to ensure that the legislative process to implement the US-India civil nuclear agreement could advance without a hitch, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns said.

Speaking at the US Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Mr Burns said Implementation of the deal would promote the objectives of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) by bringing India into the global non-proliferation regime.

He also made it clear that it was the ''boldness and the vision'' of President Bush that India-US relations have been transformed into a strategic partnership, ''a relationship not matched with any other country in the world,'' he added.

Enumerating why India was made an exception, Mr Burns said that for the first time, India has committed to separate its civilian and military facilities and subject them to international safeguards on a permanent basis. This commitment will end India's 30-year isolation from the global regime and will increase the transparency of its civilian nuclear program, he added.

''What distinguished India is that it has protected its nuclear technology over the 30 years. Unlike North Korea, India has not proliferated and has conformed to international guidelines pertaining to nuclear technology,'' Mr Burns added.

The White House has sent a draft proposal to Congress seeking an India-specific waiver under the Atomic energy Act of 1954 to allow the sale of nuclear technology to India.

If approved by lawmakers, the agreement must still be authorised by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The 45-nation group oversees nuclear transfers and seeks to ensure they will not be used to develop nuclear weapons.

Mr Burns expressed the confidence that the NSG would do the needful by consensus.

Meanwhile, the US Chamber of Commerce says Mr Bush's proposal could open up 100-billion dollars in business ventures for Americans in the Indian energy sector.

The group's senior Vice President of international affairs, Dan Christman, said the agreement would also spur economic reforms in energy-starved India. He said it will also open Indian markets to US investment in key areas, including information technology, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications.

UNI

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