Indo-US nuclear deal not in jeopardy: Pranab

New Delhi, May 16 (UNI) External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today assured the Lok Sabha that the Indo-US deal was not in jeopardy and the two sides were continuing discussions with a view to finalising the agreement in civil nuclear energy.

''We have conveyed to the US on several occasions that the 123 agreement should be within the framework of the July 18, 2005 joint statement, the March 2, 2006 separation plan and the commitments made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament,'' Mr Mukherjee said, replying to supplementaries.

Countering media reports that the deal was in jeopardy, he said the US State Department had stated on May 1 this year after the Fourth round of negotiations between Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and US Under Secretary of State Nicolas Burns that the discussions were positive and the US was encouraged by the extensive progress made on the issue.

''The two sides are continuing discussions with a view to finalising the bilateral cooperation agreement in civil nuclear energy,'' Mr Mukherjee said.

UNI