India working with NSG countries for clean waiver: Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi, Aug 29 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said that New Delhi is working with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) countries to secure a clean waiver on the India-US civilian nuclear deal.

"We have made it quite clear that we are interested in the clean waiver from the NSG. We have made our position quite clear to the interlocutors. They could not finalize the decision on August 21-22. They have again reconvened the meeting on September4-5. In-between, we are working through our interlocutors and directly contacting the various NSG countries. We shall have to wait for the final outcome which will be available to us after the NSG meeting," Mukherjee said on the sidelines of a Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) meeting here.

India had earlier said that a decision regarding the nuclear deal would be taken only after taking into account the amendments to the present draft.

India is trying to narrow down the differences with some of the NSG countries before the next meeting scheduled for September 4-5.

A 45-nation NSG meeting on whether to lift a ban on nuclear trade with India ended inconclusively last week after some members wanted to attach conditions.

According to diplomats, conditions tabled at the NSG included intrusive U.N. inspections of Indian civilian nuclear sites; cancellation of any waiver if India tests bombs again; and periodic reviews of Indian compliance with the exemption.

The NSG countries will meet again on September 4-5 after the United States reworks the draft for a waiver aimed at breaking the nuclear trade embargo.

The deal would allow India access to nuclear technology and fuel, overturning a three-decade ban on trade after India tested nuclear weapons in 1974.

Time is running out on the bilateral deal which still has to reach the U.S. Congress for ratification by early September at the latest, before the house breaks for the November U.S. presidential elections.

ANI