Indo-US nuke deal may not be through this year: Pranab

New Delhi, June 18 (UNI) The differences over the Indo-US nuclear deal may not be removed this year though some progress has been made in the talks, according to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

''I cannot say it can be possibly done this year. We are trying,'' Mr Mukherjee told the Straits Times in an interview.

Still certain areas had to be sorted out and the issue figured only ''very briefly'' at the talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George Bush on the sidelines of the G8 summit at Heiligendamm, Germany, earlier this month, he said.

The Singh-Bush talks had raised hopes of a breakthrough before the Prime Minister's visit to New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly session.

Without going into the details of the Secretary level talks and the progress made therein, Mr Mukherjee said the two sides were serious in their efforts to finalise the 123 agreement, necessary for the implementation of the July 18, 2005 deal.

India is believed to have offered that it would set up a dedicated national facility for reprocessing of the spent fuel under safeguards to resolve the problem over granting such rights to New Delhi.

The other irritants over the deal are India's demand for an assurance that fuel supplies would be maintained without interruption and retention of its right to go for nuclear tests.

UNI