Bush accords priority to nuclear deal with India

Washington, Aug 29: The priority for the Bush administration right now is to try to bring into fruition with the US-the 123 Agreement with India and that civil nuclear cooperation agreement, says State Department's Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood.

"That's where our focus is right now," he said. Wood made these observations in reply to a question on Thursday, Aug 29 about the fate of the long-pending US-Russia civilian nuclear agreement. "All I would say is that we're looking at various options in terms of our response to Russia's aggression in Georgia," he said. "But I don't have anything to say here about what steps we may or may not take at this point with regard to Russia's aggression against Georgia." In reply to a question about the political situation in Pakistan, Wood rejected charge that the United States was trying to interfere in Pakistan's internal affairs.

"It's our policy to stay out of Pakistan's internal affairs. We've said that over and over again. Pakistan is a close ally. It has a new government. That government is trying to find its way. It's sorting through a whole host of very difficult issues," Wood said.

The US official, however, said, 'we want to cooperate very closely with Pakistan, as we've said over and over again, on the war against extremism. And you can rest assured that the United States is there to support Pakistan as it tries to, you know, further consolidate its democracy.' A similar question was raised at the press briefing at White House where its Spokesperson Daba Perino said, 'President Bush is kept fully briefed' on the situation in Pakistan and its impact on India.

UNI