'Indo-US nuke issue did figure at PM-Bush meet'

Berlin, June 9: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a''short, pull-aside'' meeting with the US President George W Bush andhad a ''positive conversation'' that may put the negotiations on theIndo-US nuclear deal back on the rails and get them going once again.

The nuclear issue ''did figure'' at the meeting held on thesidelines of the G8 summit at Heiligendamm, the Baltic sea resort 250km north from here, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told reporters.

The meeting lasted about 10 minutes, Mr Menon said, but refused togo into the details of the discussion, stating that it would not serveany purpose.

Asked where the two countries could go from here on the nuclearissue, he said both the sides were committed to resolving thedifferences on the deal which was ''doable and we hope to do it soon.''At present, the two sides were assessing the negotiations held duringthe three-day visit of Bush administration's point man Nicholas Burnsto Delhi about a week ago, he said.

The two leaders covered the ''entire range of relationship.'' Butit was not a conversation where they could have gone into the detailsof every issue, he said.

''This is not a place where you negotiate issues and take decisions,'' Mr Menon explained.

Dr Singh began today's meeting by asking Mr Bush about his healthas the US president had missed part of the morning session of the G8-G5summit due to a stomach upset.

Mr Menon confirmed that National Security Advisor M K Narayananhad a meeting, also at the summit venue, with his US counterpartStephan Hadley. He said he was not aware of the details as he was notpresent.

Dr Singh had a series of similar discussions with PresidentVladimir Putin of Russia and Nicolas Sarkozy of France and BritishPremier Tony Blair and a half-an-hour scheduled meeting with GermanChancellor Angela Merkel.

Mr Menon said the Prime Minister reviewed the bilateral relationswith all the leaders and by and large all the leaders expressedsatisfaction over the way things were moving on further strengtheningof their ties with each other.

The Prime Minister had a ''walk with President Putin and met PM Blair,'' foreign office spokesman Navtej Sarna said.

''Given the nature of the function there (Heiligendamm), they areall pull-aside meetings. There is no facility for formal delegationlevel talks,'' the spokesman said.

The meeting with Mr Bush, who had missed the morning session ofthe summit due to some illness, had raised the hope that the seeminglystalled negotiations on the Indo-US nuclear deal would get going onceagain.

Dr Singh was at Heiligendamm to attend the G8 summit with the fiveoutreach partners -- India, Brazil, China, Mexico and South Africa.

It could not be ascertained immediately whether the two leadershad asked the negotiating delegates to find a way out to overcome theirdifferences, mainly on India's insistence on retaining the right toconduct further nuclear tests and reprocess the spent fuel and NewDelhi's demand for a US guarantee for uninterrupted fuel supplies.

After the visit of Bush administration's point man andUndersecretary of State Nicholas Burns' three-day talks with ForeignSecretary Shivshankar Menon and others in New Delhi a week ago, Indiaand the US have acknowledged that tough negotiations are ahead forkeeping the July 18, 2005 deal alive by signing the 123 agreement,necessary for implementing the proposed cooperation on the civilianside.

It is understood that India has come out with new ideas to resolvethe spent fuel recycling problem and is expecting a positive responsefrom the US.

Official circles had expected Mr Bush to appreciate some ofIndia's suggestions and ask his side to find ways to accommodate themto the satisfaction of the critics keeping a close watch on thedevelopments on the deal.

UNI

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