N-bill within parameters of agreement: US

The United States on Friday said the bill on the civil nuclear deal approved by the Senate was within the parameters of the agreement between the two governments and the 'very few' problem areas remaining will be removed to make the final legislation 'acceptable.'

The 'historic' agreement can be implemented after consensus of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and India's deal, which can all happen within months, US Ambassador David C Mulford told reporters in New Delhi soon after the 100-member Senate passed the bill with a 85-12 vote.

He said the conference for reconciliation of the two bills -- one of the House of Representatives passed in July and another of the Senate -- will take place in the first week of the next month before the final legislation goes to President George W Bush for his signature.

"The two bills are now visible. The challenge of the conference committee will be to rationalise the two bills into a single bill," Mulford said.

"So we know what is in the legislation. Our view is that the agreement achieved in the legislation clearly falls within the parameters of the original agreement between the two countries, first in July last year, the preliminary agreement, and the final agreement in March this year. It meets all those tests and conditions," he said.

India has maintained that the legislation on the civil nuclear agreement should be within the parameters of the agreement reached between the two governments failing which it would not be acceptable to it.  

Mulford, who met India's special envoy on the nuclear deal Shyam Saran earlier in the day, said the US was aware of 'some areas of uncertainty and sensitivity,' which are still there and need to be addressed.

Noting that the agreement was a 'test case' for realisation of the larger vision of broad-based long-term Indo-US relations, he said there were a 'very few' problems remaining and the Bush administration will continue to work with the Congress to remove them.

"The Bush administration has made very clear its intention to continue to work with the Congress on this issue. I believe it will be possible to resolve most of these problems and that we will come out with something which is acceptable," the US envoy said, adding: "We can now take the final steps."

On the efforts being made to bring about a consensus in the 45-nation NSG for the civil nuclear agreement, he said both India and the US have been conducting dialogue with its members and he was confident about a positive outcome.

"India has done particularly good job and many of the NSG members, who earlier had questions, have now expressed support for the agreement," he said.

Noting that it was a 'historic day' and perhaps the 'best day ever' in the Indo-US relations, he said the agreement reflects Bush's commitment to enable India emerge as a world power by ending its isolation faced for last 30 years. The deal will enable India to develop its civil nuclear energy as an additional source energy and reduce dependence on hydrocarbon imports.