India reiterates its stand on going ahead with the nuclear deal

On Board Air India One, July 10 : Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon on Thursday said that India was all set to go ahead with the civil nuclear cooperation deal with the United States.

Speaking to reporters on board the Prime Minister's aircraft while returning home from G-8 summit in Japan, Menon said the civil nuclear cooperation remained the focus of discussions with President Bush and other leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

"They also discussed civil nuclear co-operation. Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) informed President Bush that we are going ahead with the initiative. President Bush informed the Prime Minister that the subject had been discussed among the G8 members," he said.

India has approached the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with a draft safeguards accord to seek its approval. This is a crucial step towards operationalising the Indo-US civil Nuclear Deal.

New Delhi went to the IAEA after the G-8 nations and the US President pledged full support to the Nuclear Cooperation agreement.

G-8, in its declaration at Sapporo, Japan says, that the group is looking forward to working with India, the IAEA and the NSG and other partners, to take forward New Delhi's Non-proliferation commitment and progress.

The Foreign Secretary, referring to the bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul, said both India and the US resolved to fight terrorism.

"President Bush expressed condolences for the bombing of the embassy in Kabul. There was renewed determination expressed on both sides to fight terrorism," he said.

More than 40 people were killed and over 140 injured in a suicide car bomb explosion at the gate of the Indian embassy in Kabul on July 7. The dead included four Indians.

ANI