N-deal will end India's isolation: Mulford

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March 05, 2006 23:19 IST

Terming the Indo-US nuclear deal as "very constructive and credible", American Ambassador to India David Mulford Sunday night said he believed it deserved "positive attention" of the US Congress and the agreement is aimed at ending India's nuclear isolation.

"The deal has been negotiated. It's a very constructive deal, a credible deal. I believe it would get the sort of positive attention it deserves," he told NDTV when asked how confident he is that the Congress would approve the deal in the light of some criticism in the US.

Mulford said the civil nuclear energy deal with India will end its isolation and contribute to the non-proliferation system.

"This visit is certainly the most important visit any president of United States has made to India," Mulford said referring to George W Bush's just-concluded visit to India.

He said the "historic" deal will end India's isolation from gaining access to civil nuclear energy.

"I think that would mean it would be a focussed deal on civil nuclear energy and it is of historic importance to both countries. India had a long period of isolation and this would end," he said.

Mulford said the deal would also mean the "ability" to address a major economic areas like energy and it offered India the opportunity to "join the full world system".

"From that point of view it is an opportunity to regularise and globalise the civil nuclear relations with India," Mulford said.

He denied the agreements in various areas, including space would give the US firms an edge to win contract in India and said the American companies would also compete with others.

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