New Delhi: The United States on Friday welcomed India's decision to move forward with the civilian nuclear deal by seeking International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approval for its safeguards agreement and assured that Washington would work closely with the IAEA, the NSG and the (US) Congress to see the initiatives are quickly implemented.
State department Spokesman Sean McCormack said the US was looking forward to taking up the issues related to the nuclear deal with the UN atomic watchdog and the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
He did refer to time constraints, though, but added that the US was fully committed to doing everything it can to conclude this agreement. McCormack referred to both the IAEA and the NSG as not directly under US control, as India has barely begun the IAEA process. He underscored that time is needed for the waiver from the NSG.
Earlier, Congressman Gary Ackerman had called upon India to complete the IAEA and NSG process by August if the nuclear deal was to have any hope of winning Congressional approval this year.
US Ambassador to India David C Mulford promised US cooperation on the deal but said “much work is still needed.”
''This historic initiative is a significant component of the Strategic Partnership envisioned by President George W Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. We will work closely with India, IAEA Governors, our NSG partners and the US Congress to ensure that this initiative is implemented as quickly as possible,'' Mulford said.
Mulford, however, said much work still needs to be done to see this initiative through to the final stages.
He said the Indo-US Civil Nuclear initiative would help India meet its growing energy demands in an economically efficient and environment-friendly manner and strengthen the global non-proliferation regime.
India on Wednesday night had requested the IAEA to circulate their draft safeguards agreement to the 35-members of the Board of Governors of the nuclear watchdog.
India also made public the vital Agreement on Thursday, throwing it into public domain for open discussion.
Mulford met the Prime Minister and officials of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and discussed the latest developments on the deal on Thursday.
He had also met several envoys of NSG countries in India and sought their countries' support for the deal.
After the IAEA Board of Governors debates the safeguards agreement, the deal will go to the 45-nation powerful nuclear lobby — the NSG, whose approval is also vital for the ratification of the agreement.
Most of the NSG members have reservations about giving approval to the agreement since India is not a signatory to the NPT. The last hurdle will be the US Congress.
(With PTI inputs)
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