US Congress to approve legislation by July

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, June 30 (UNI) The US Congress is likely to give the green signal for amending the law for implementing the nuclear deal with India by July and the entire process leading to the implementation of the agreement will be ''hopefully'' completed by the year end, US Ambassador to India David Mulford said today.

''The entire process is expected to be completed by the end of the year, hopefully. Key step is the US Congress changing the law and the first step has been taken during the past three days,'' the Ambassador told reporters here.

Giving an overview of the developments so far since the signing of the historic agreement on July 18, 2005, particularly in the last three days, the Ambassador said the first step had been taken during the past three days which gave momentum to the entire process.

''Chances are very good that the Bill will be signed into a law by July...But that is not the end of the story...'' and a lot more had to be done, he said in reply to a question.

While the Senate Foreign Relations Committee endorsed the US-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act yesterday, the Foreign Relations Committee of the House of Representatives had passed the bill on Tuesday.

Pointing out that the US Congress had acted in a ''committed fashion,'' he said the sense in the Congress is that it is a very important matter. India is too important to be left outside the nuclear architecture and should be brought in to strengthen the Non Proliferation Regime.

''We have got this key relationship (with India) running into the next century,'' he added.

Asked about the 123 agreement, the Ambassador said negotiations were on and ''probably 60 per cent progress'' had been made.

He said it was a complicated agreement and would hold another meeting in mid-July. It would then be submitted to the US Congress which would either have to pass or reject it. There would not be any amendment to it.

Mr Mulford said first India and then the US would have to talk to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

To a question he said the agreement was against any kind of Nuclear testing, even laboratory testing.

''A nuclear deterrent is a nuclear deterrent.'' India has made a commitment. Should such a thing happen, there is the provision that the agreement will no longer be effective.'' The Ambassador also denied that there was an 'Iran rider' in the agreement since conflicting statements on the issue were coming out from the US.

There was no rider but policy statements by some members of the Congress, he added.

UNI RB YA BD1710

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