No impact of NKorea test on Indo-US Nuke deal

Washington, Oct 21: The Bush administration has made it clear that North Korea's nuclear test will have no impact on the United States' civil nuclear agreement with India, thus setting at rest speculations on this count in the two countries.

The Pyongyang October 9 test "has not changed our position," US Under Secretary Nicholas Burns told newsmen here.

He said that the administration was determined to go ahead with "our strategic relationship with India." The civilian nuclear deal was the top concern of the Bush administration and "we hope that Senate will vote on it" when it returns next month after its current recess, he said.

Mr Burns appeared confident of the Senate's approval, arguing that "a bipartisan consensus has of late been building up on the agreement." The measure has already been passed by the House of Representatives, the lower house of the US Congress.

UNI

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