N-agreement: India, US continue deliberations

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June 13, 2006 22:12 IST

Seeking to reach common positions on some contentious issues, officials of India and the US on Tuesday continued deliberations on the proposed bilateral agreement on nuclear cooperation.

On the second day of the three-day parleys, the two sides discussed threadbare aspects like the nature of cooperation and obligations that each side would have after the agreement is firmed up.

Going down to the nitty gritty of various aspects, the delegations, which include experts, are working on the wording of the agreement that will reflect satisfaction of both sides, particularly on contentious issues.

"We are trying to reach a common position on various aspects of the cooperation," a source told PTI at the end of the second day of formal talks launched on Monday on the Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation Agreement or 123 Agreement.

The Indian side is led by S Jayshankar, joint secretary (America) in the external affairs ministry, while the US delegation is headed by Richard Stratford, director of the Department of Energy.

The Indian delegation also comprises officials from the Department of Atomic Energy, while the US side includes representatives from the State Department and Bureau of Security and Non-Proliferation.

Talking on the basis of drafts exchanged between the two sides in May, officials are aiming to narrow down their differences on issues like possibility of future nuclear testing by New Delhi and assurances by Washington on atomic fuel supplies.

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