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| India-Pakistan |
| Indian govt sets talks with U.S. on nuclear deal |
| 2007-10-22 |
| NEW DELHI (Rooters) - The Indian government and its commie allies agreed on Monday to hold next month one last meeting over a nuclear deal with the United States, clearly indicating that New Delhi had backtracked on pushing the pact. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's coalition faced an informal end-October deadline to take the next steps needed to clinch the historic deal, seen as a symbol of the growing strategic ties between the once-estranged democracies. Although the two sides agreed to meet again on November 16 and finalize their report, the decision failed to inject hope over the fate of a controversial deal most analysts say is gasping for life due to stiff opposition from the left parties. "The members ... expressed the hope that the issues ... would be addressed in an appropriate manner and the operationalization of the deal will take into account the committee's findings," a joint statement said. A senior government minister on the panel, formed in August to resolve the bitter row that erupted after the commies rejected the pact, said the November 16 meeting would be the last. "The discussions are over. The next meeting will be to finalize the findings," he told reporters on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media. The four main left parties that prop up Singh's coalition had threatened to end support if the deal was pursued. The civilian nuclear cooperation deal aims to lift a three-decade ban on sales of U.S. nuclear fuel and reactors to India, imposed after it conducted a nuclear test in 1974, while staying out of non-proliferation agreements. Singh has said he hopes to avoid elections over the deal and told President George W. Bush that there were "certain difficulties" in pursuing it. The commies say it hurts India's sovereignty and imposes American hegemony. The disagreement has pushed Singh's government to the brink of collapse, sparked the prospect of snap elections and hurt sentiment on India's stock markets before the coalition blinked under pressure from other allies opposed to an early vote. Ahead of Monday's meeting, communist leaders had said they would ask the government to end its ambiguity over the deal as Singh and ruling party officials had subsequently said they were still hopeful about clinching it. Asked if their doubts had been cleared, Debabrata Biswas, a leader of the Forward Bloc, one of the smaller left parties, said government representatives had cited Singh's comments this month that the coalition would not be sacrificed for the deal. "That is virtually an assurance," he told Reuters. "The deal is certainly not going ahead until November 16." India needs to conclude a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, get approvals from the Nuclear Suppliers Group and a second backing from the U.S. Congress before the deal can come into force. Although it faces no formal deadline, Washington wants the pact -- considered highly lucrative for American firms -- clinched next year before the end of Bush's term to avoid its fate becoming uncertain under a new administration. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |