Burns optimistic about US nuke deal with India
New
Delhi: US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
and Washington's chief nuclear negotiator Nicholas Burns
said on Friday that he was hopeful about making progress
in the Indo-US nuke deal issue during his meetings with
his Indian counterparts later in the day. Indian and US
negotiators began talks on Thursday in an attempt to reach
a compromise on a landmark nuclear cooperation deal in time
for President George W. Bush's visit to the subcontinent
next week. The two-day talks between Burns and Indian Foreign
Secretary Shyam Saran are being held ahead of Bush's visit
to New Delhi next week, a trip, which aims to cement a new
friendship between the two countries who were on opposite
sides in pre-Cold War era.
Burns
said that both the countries were working hard in an attempt
to reach a compromise on a landmark nuclear cooperation
deal. "We are working very hard on this agreement on both
sides. We have great respect for Indian colleagues with
whom we are working, we have been active now for 11 months
and there have been unique negotiations, very challenging.
But there is a goodwill by both governments, and a commitment
by President Bush to see this through towards a conclusion,"
said Burns after meeting MInister of State for External
Affairs Anand Sharma here today. Burns added that he hoped
to make some progress in the talks with Saran later in the
afternoon. We have some more work to do today. We haven't
had a meeting today yet. We'll be going to a meeting today
in the afternoon with Foreign Secretary Saran and we are
hoping to make progress in that meeting. ...had a meeting
with Mr. Sharma and encouraged by everything going in right
direction in the relationship," he said. The deal, which
aims to give India access to long-denied U.S. nuclear equipment
and fuel, has run into trouble over differences on New Delhi's
plan to separate its civilian and military nuclear programmes
to prevent proliferation. Burns, chief negotiator on the
civilian nuclear energy deal, on Thursday said there were
"still remaining differences" over the deal but both sides
were keen on signing the deal during President George Bush's
visit. New Delhi and Washington are both keen to make the
civilian nuclear cooperation deal the centerpiece of Bush's
visit. But Washington's desire to see a large chunk of India's
22 nuclear reactors placed under international safeguards
has rankled India's nuclear establishment. Indian atomic
scientists argue that such a move could compromise nuclear
security and shackle the atomic programme. The deal has
also come under strong opposition from the American non-proliferation
lobby which says cooperation with India -- which has not
signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty -- would let
it expand its military programme and also encourage other
countries to do the same.
Nicholas
Burns visit 'fruitful': Manmohan Singh
New
Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday described
the visit of US Undersecretary of State, Nicholas Burns,
as 'fruitful', as Burns continued talks with his Indian
counterpart Shyam Saran to reach a compromise on a landmark
nuclear cooperation deal. "Of course, he has come here to
prepare for President Bush's visit. We are looking forward
to President Bush's visit as honourable guest of our country.
Yes, it is a fruitful visit," Singh told reporters. Burns
and Saran began the delicate exercise on Thursday to close
in an agreement in time for President George W. Bush's visit
to the subcontinent next week. The deal, which aims to give
India access to long-denied U.S. nuclear equipment and fuel,
has run into trouble over differences on New Delhi's plan
to separate its civilian and military nuclear programmes
to prevent proliferation. The two-day talks between Burns
and Saran are being held ahead of Bush's visit to New Delhi,
a trip which aims to cement a new friendship between the
two countries who were on opposite sides of the Cold War.
New Delhi and Washington are both keen to make the civilian
nuclear cooperation deal the centerpiece of the visit. Abid
Hussain, former Indian Ambassador to U.S., said he was confident
that India would be able to achieve a certain position where
it will be permitted access in civilian nuclear energy though
it might be an uphill task. "There will have to be negotiation
and talks and trade offs because you see between two countries
when you have got differences, they do not get resolved
so easily. Today, it is not a military power with which
you see you can conquer a territory and you make that government
to submit to your laws and your wishes or this thing or
the other. You have got to so influence the other country
that it responds to your needs and requirements and I think
both of us are doing it. We are trying to see that how would
we be able to convince America that their interests are
in safe in having the technology completed with us. Similarly,
America should also feel that India is a safe bet in this
regard. It will take time," said Hussain.
The deal, besides giving India access to U.S. civilian atomic
technology, would also help lift a global ban on New Delhi
receiving similar supplies from other nuclear nations to
cater to its soaring energy requirements. But Washington's
desire to see a large chunk of India's 22 nuclear reactors
placed under international safeguards has rankled India's
nuclear establishment. Indian atomic scientists argue that
such a move could compromise nuclear security and shackle
the atomic programme. The deal has also come under strong
opposition from the American non-proliferation lobby which
says cooperation with India -- which has not signed the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty -- would let it expand
its military programme and also encourage other countries
to do the same.
Meanwhile,
scores of Muslims staged a protest march against the visit
of US. President George Bush scheduled next week. Bush will
be in New Delhi next week to further advance a rapidly growing
U.S.-India relationship that has the nuclear deal as its
centerpiece. Muslims, who congregated after holding Friday
prayers shouted anti-Bush slogans and condemned him for
carrying out attacks on Iraq, Iran and other Muslim countries.
"President Bush is against humanity and wherever he had
gone, it had led to attacks only. He wants people to be
working under his rule," said a religious leader. The agitationists
also burnt the effigy of Bush to register their anger.
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