New Delhi: India’s Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon on Thursday said the government was not following any deadlines on the nuclear deal with the US. Menon also hoped the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) talks would be concluded at the earliest.
His remarks followed Wednesday’s statement by visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates who during his two-day India visit had made the deadline clear by saying, "With this being an election year, there is an open question about how long the Senate will be in session beyond this summer and September.”
Menon however, said that the government was trying to conclude the deal as early as possible.
Gates had met Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday and clarified that his country was eyeing Indian defence contracts worth billions of dollars, saying Washington wanted to have a "place at the table" when New Delhi procures weapon systems.
BJP president L K Advani also had a meeting with Gates who as part of a 50-member delegation was trying to lobby in favour of the nuke deal.
On the first day of his visit, the US Defence Secretary had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and presented him with a letter from American President George W Bush.
After the India-IAEA safeguards agreement and waiver from NSG, the nuclear agreement has to go back to the US Congress for another vote.
(With agency inputs)
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