US Congress to act on civilian nuke deal

Washington, July 18: The Bush administration says the US Congress would take up the landmark civilian nuclear deal with India within weeks, allowing it to win full congressional approval by September.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher said the House of Representatives could begin the floor debate on the landmark deal next week, with the Senate following the week after.

Then, both chambers would return after the summer recess, which starts on July 29 for the House and the Senate on August 4, to put finishing touches on composite legislation, he said.

''Perhaps in September, they could put through the final legislation,'' Boucher said while briefing reporters at the Foreign Press Center here yesterday.

July 18 also marks the anniversary of the historic visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Washington. Referring to this, Boucher said in the past one year ''we have accomplished a lot with India.

So, it is a good occasion I think also to recognise that we are taking the vision that the prime minister and the president enunciated -- taking many of the concrete programmes announced during the president's visit to India in March and turning those into reality and especially moving forward very quickly on the US-India civil nuclear arrangements.'' The nuclear deal won quick approval from the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House International Relations Committee last month, boosting its chances of getting the floor votes in both the chambers of the US Congress.

Much of the fierce opposition to the deal has been overcome with the change in the language of the bills in the House and the Senate.

Under the deal, the United States will allow India access to sensitive nuclear technology for developing nuclear power in India in return for New Delhi placing some of its nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections.

The US Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which currently prevents the United States from trading nuclear technology with nations that have not signed up to the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), will be amended to make the deal effective.

President Bush and Prime Minister Singh agreed on the treaty last year, but it must be approved by US lawmakers and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) before it can take effect.

Boucher said ''Our Congress has been very supportive. We have seen legislation move now from the committees in the House and the Senate. We look forward to seeing votes in the House and the Senate maybe this month.

''So the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement is on track, the legislation is moving forward quickly, and the United States is keeping our commitment of turning the president's and the prime minister's vision into reality, and that we can use to help support Indian economic growth and its economic future,'' he added.

To a specific question on whether any other nation has approached the US for a similar civilian nuclear deal, Boucher said ''I think it's safe to say that I have not seen any proposal to make a similar deal with another country along the lines of the one with India.

We certainly believe that the situation with India is unique.

That's way we have approached this agreement and pursued it, and I think that remains the view of many other members of the international community, he added.

UNI