No time frame can be set for Nuke deal: Pranab

Chennai, Jul 26 (UNI) External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said no time frame could be set for the implementation of the Indo-US Nuclear deal.

Talking to newspersons here after inaugurating the Chennai Centre of the Indian Statistical Institute, he said the India specific safeguards in the deal had been sent to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for their approval.

The Board of Governors were scheduled to meet on August 1.

''After their approval, the deal will be referred to the Nuclear Supplier's Group (NSG). Once this process is completed, it will be placed before the US Congress for its ratification,'' he added.

''We cannot set any time frame for completion of all these process,'' he said.

The clearance from the IAEA Board of Governors and the approval from the NSG, was akin to getting Passport and Visa to deal with the NSG countries and sign bilateral agreements with them, Mr Mukherjee said.

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