US Congress may ratify nuke deal by November: Mulford

Jaipur, Sept 22 (UNI) The Indo-US nuclear deal is likely to be ratified by the US Congress before November this year, US ambassador to India David C Mulford today said.

''The Bush administration is eager to get the agreement ratified by the Congress before November as elections to the US Congress are scheduled early next year,'' he said, adding the administration wanted the deal ratified by the present Congress itself to avoid further delay.

The deal is presently before the Senate with the House of Representatives already having cleared it.

Participating at a 'Meet the Press' programme here, Mr Mulford said the nuclear deal could be considered as a ''reward for India's impeccable track record in the prevention of outward and inward proliferation.'' Noting the nuclear deal was important for both the countries, he quipped India was ''too important a country to be left out of the nuclear regime.'' The US Ambassador said the deal assumes importance as India is the only exception because inspite of it not being a signatory of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the US administration has signed the deal.

''The deal will bring back India into the global community as well as act as a catalyst for development. At present power generation from nuclear energy in India is just 2.8 per cent of the total production but the Indian government plans to raise the share to 20 per cent in future to bridge the wide gap in supply and demand,'' he said.

Answering a question on Pakistan's demand for a similar nuclear deal, Mr Mulford said India's case was unique in many ways as its nuclear programme was indigenous and meant for peaceful purposes while the country had a good track record in the prevention of nuclear proliferation.

On the chances of Shashi Tharoor, the Indian candidate for the post of UN Secretary General, Mr Mulford said the US has not made up its mind and a decision will be taken after assessing the prospects of all other candidates in the fray.

Replying to another question, he said US has no role in the removal of former Indian External Affairs minister Natwar Singh.

''It was a matter between Mr Natwar Singh and the United Nations and US has no role in it,'' he said.

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