Onus of Congress nod to Indo-US nuke deal on Bush admin: India

India on Friday made it clear that the onus of getting the civil nuclear deal passed in the US Congress lies on the Bush administration, a day after an US lawmaker suggested that the agreement be put to vote only after talks on bilateral pact are completed and IAEA safeguards finalised.

"It is for the US administration to ensure passage of the appropriate legislation in the US Congress to enable civil nuclear energy cooperation with India on the basis of reciprocal understanding reached in the Joint Statement of July 18, 2005 and the Separation Plan that has been presented to Parliament on March 7, 2006," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters in New Delhi.

Indo-US Nuclear Tango

The spokesman was responding to a question on the suggestion by Congressman Tom Lantos that the bill on allowing trade with India in nuclear field be put to vote only after the two countries concluded negotiations on a bilateral pact and India firmed up a safeguards agreement with International Atomic Energy Agency.

In the July 18 Joint Statement, US President George W Bush had assured New Delhi that he would seek agreement from Congress to adjust American laws and policies to allow cooperation with India in the civil nuclear field that is banned since 1974 when India conducted its first nuclear test.

Bush had also said that Washington will work with friends and allies to adjust international rules to enable full civil nuclear energy cooperation and trade with India. "We have been looking at how this agreement goes forward in the US Congress," Sarna said.