Shyam Saran confident of enough support for nuke deal

Washington, Apr 1 (UNI) Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran has expressed ''full confidence'' that the Indo-US civilian nuclear energy deal will get enough support in the US Congress to emerge as the center-piece of the bilateral partnership between the two countries.

After two days of hectic talks with top US officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, Mr Saran told reporters yesterday that ''All in all it has been a very productive visit and I go back with a better sense of where we stand on the agreement.'' The reason for his optimism was that in all the meetings that he had with officials and lawmakers on Capitol Hill, he did not encounter any discordant note about the deal nor did anyone mention about attaching changes or conditions to the landmark arrangement reached between US President George W Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

During his meetings with lawmakers on the Hill, Mr Saran said he found widespread support for building India-US bilateral relations.

He said almost all of them expressed a desire to have a broader debate on the issue because of ''some concerns''.

Mr Saran said top on the list of the Congressmen's concerns were those related to nonproliferation and what the nuclear cooperation initiative would do to the regime. Secondly, they think the deal would somehow boost India's strategic programme that could in turn trigger an arms race in the region.

Seeking to allay their fears in this regard, Mr Saran told them that India, with its immaculate record of nonproliferation, would not in anyway undermine its ''shared goal of promoting nonproliferation.'' He said he specifically mentioned India's long-standing record of restraint and responsibility and how it had never leaked sensitive technology.

Mr Saran said he met with some key lawmakers, including Mr Henry Hyde, Chairman of the House International Relations Committee (HIRC), the ranking Democrat on the Committee, Mr Tom Lantos, Congressman Joe Wilson and Mr Eni Faleamavanga, Senator Joe Biden, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and another member of the committee Mr Barack Obama.

In all these meetings he said ''what really impressed me is there is very strong support for the India-US partnership.'' ''Virtually all congressmen whom I met said they saw a great future in the US-India relationship and were very excited about the progress that has already been made-- not only to broaden but entirely transform the bilateral ties,'' Mr Saran said.

Asked about any clarifications the lawmakers sought, he said everyone recognises the importance of the civil nuclear deal and that there should be a broader debate on the issue. And added that the most important thing is that ''we have very satisfactory answers to all the questions they have raised.'' After these meetings Mr Saran said, ''I feel quite encouraged that once this agreement goes through the crucible of debate and discussion, what actually will emerge is much stronger support for this initiative.'' Asked about the concerns expressed by Congressman Tom Lantos on Iran, Mr Saran said an Iranian navy ship had called at a port in southern India ''which is a normal activity. Somehow a wrong impression had gone around that India was funding or holding naval exercises with Iran''.

Mr Saran said he clarified this to say that such ''apprehensions were misplaced''. Mr Lantos had expressed reservations about the deal because of India's relations with Iran.

To a question on why the Congressional Caucus on India had not come out in strong support to the deal, the Foureign Secretary said ''We have to meet the Caucus members to explain the importance of this deal and I see no reason why we cannot mobilise support among these members.'' UNI XC SC RS0915