'Cong should nod to Nuke deal before June'

New Delhi, Apr 26: The US Congress should pass the Civilian Nuclear Agreement before June when it goes into recess and if the deal does not come through, relations between the two government's could become ''extremely difficult,'' former US envoy to India Robert Blackwill said today.

''When time comes, I am quite confident that a significant majority in both Houses of the Congress will support the agreement the way it is formulated...Not a single member of the Congress has come out against it and the government of India is also doing a terrific job,'' said Mr Blackwill who was responsible for government-wide policy planning to help develop UN Foreign Policy in the Bush Administration.

Speaking at a seminar on 'India's rise as a great power and US-India relations' here, organised by the CII, he said the Bush Administration hoped that this legislation would be passed by the Congress by June.

In June, it will go into recess to reconvene in September and start preparing for the elections. After that it would enter the next year.

''It (Congress nod by June) is possible but not certain.

The time period is daunting. That is the danger. Majority of the Congress has accepted Indo-US long-term cooperation. If it does not come through, people-to-people contact will not be affected but government-to-government relationship will become extremely difficult,'' he added.

He identified five steps-or strengthening long-term cooperation between the two countries, including intensifying diplomatic interaction and intelligence exchange regarding terrorism.

UNI