Senate leaders talks to PM on nuke bill

Washington, Dec 6 (UNI) US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist had telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and assured that US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation bill would get Congressional approval this week, taking into account India's concerns.

In a statement today, Senator Frist said, ''Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stressed that there are a number of provisions in the House and Senate-passed bills that are problematic for the Indian government because they depart from the understanding reached with President George W Bush on this issue on July 18, 2005.'' He said, ''We discussed several of these provisions, and I assured him that the conferees are well aware of the Indian government's concerns. I noted that I had appointed myself as a conferee in order to be able to participate personally in the process of refining the legislation, and assured him that we are working on the issues of concern to India.'' ''The enactment of this legislation will lead to a much more friendly and robust relationship between the United States and India. I told him we share that objective and are working hard to produce legislation that would help our two nations achieve it.'' UNI XC SI MSJ RAI2044