The statement issued from Gonzalo Gallegos, acting state department spokesman could be a soothing factor for New Delhi after US senior Democrat lawmaker suggestion to suspend congressional approval of the deal until the next Congress convenes in January 2009.
The US said it is working hard to get the support of Congress for its civil nuclear deal with India by the end of this year after hopefully getting clearance from the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group, which is scheduled to meet on August 21-22.
Gallegos said, “We are working with Congress to discuss the issues and resolve any outstanding concerns that they may have.” Responding to the senior democrat lawmaker, Howard Berman, he said, “We believe this is a significant programme. We are working through the NSG to get their acceptance by early September.”
Earlier in the day a letter submitted by Berman to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had put the Indian officials in New Delhi in a pensive mood.
His warning to Bush administration ‘to shelve the deal unless it can guarantee suspension of trade if India conducts another nuclear test’ appeared as alarm bells ticking at the head of New Delhi. Howard Berman is the one, who along with Senator Joe Biden will pilot the 123 agreement through the US Congress to conclude the final stage for operationalisation of the nuclear deal.
Berman asked US administration to ensure the NSG exemption to India, currently under negotiation, is not inconsistent with the provisions of the Hyde Act. The Hyde Act, which requires among other things the suspension of nuclear assistance to India if it resumes nuclear testing.
Apart from his suggestion to shelve the nuclear deal for the next year, Berman made demand the waiver comprise the following key elements: the immediate withdrawal of all nuclear commerce by NSG member states with India if the latter goes for nuclear test or detonates a nuclear explosive device or if the IAEA determines that India has violated its safeguards commitments; a prohibition on transfer of enrichment, reprocessing and heavy water production technology by any NSG member to India; and a stipulation that NSG supplier states will not allow India to reprocess nuclear fuel except in a facility that is under permanent and unconditional safeguards.
The warning came amidst the die-hard efforts by Washington and New Delhi working day and night to persuade the 45-nation NSG to give unprecedented exemption to India allowing nuclear commerce with a state that has not signed the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty).
Earlier, Washington submitted the final draft of NSG exemption to Germany- the head of 45-nation NSG- after working through Indian concerns. It is now up to Berlin when it circulates the draft.
Prior to submitting draft, US met India’s objection to drop the reference made on committing member nations to work towards India accepting comprehensive full-scale safeguards at the earliest. This would mean an assurance to NSG countries that India will make efforts towards bringing all its reactors under safeguards in the future.
After the clearance of this biggest hurdle-NSG exemption- the United States is hopeful to get the approval of Congress for the pact when it reconvenes on September 8.
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