India and the US were unable to ink the path-breaking civil nuclear agreement today with New Delhi making it clear that it would do so only after President George W Bush signs it into a law, an occasion when it expects certain misgivings to be cleared.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Bush’s signing of the legislation, which was approved by the US Congress earlier this week, into law had got delayed due to “administrative” reasons and there were “no open issues” involved.
The Indian position apparently caused disappointment in the American side, which was keen on making Rice’s visit a substantive one by signing the 123 agreement and wrapping up the civil nuclear deal.
After over 90-minute talks between Rice and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the two sides expressed the hope that the 123 agreement would be signed soon.
“The President will sign the legislation very soon. He wants to do it very soon. There are administrative details,” Rice said at a joint press conference with Mukherjee.
Sources said the President might sign the legislation next week after which Mukherjee may travel to the US.
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“Let me be clear, the 123 agreement is done. It is a matter of signing and so I don’t want anyone to think that we have open issues. We, in fact, don’t have open issues,” said Rice, who also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during her day-long visit.
Mukherjee said that “after the signing by the (US) President (of the legislation into law), the process will be complete. And after the process is complete, we will be in a position to sign (the 123 agreement). A mutually convenient date of signing the agreement will be determined and I hope it will be signed shortly”.
Rice suggested the signing by President Bush had got delayed as the bill passed by the Congress was in the process of being sent to the White House. The financial crisis that has gripped the US is one of the reasons for the delay.
The visit of Rice, coming soon after the Congressional approval of the legislation, had raised expectations of the 123 being signed during the trip.
India, however, insisted that it would do so only after seeing Bush’s signing statement as it expected him to clear the American position on certain aspects like fuel supply assurances in the wake of various statements.
To a question, Rice said: “The Hyde Act is completely consistent with 123 agreement....123 agreement is consistent with the Hyde Act. The US will keep its commitments to both.”
On the US seeking a ban by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technology, Rice said Washington had for long wanted prohibition at the global level, suggesting that it was not directed against India specifically.
Describing the NSG waiver as an “enabling provision”, Mukherjee said the exemption allowed NSG countries to have civil nuclear trade with India and that such cooperation could fructify through bilateral arrangements which need to be finalised.
On the question of reprocessing facilities, he said the issue would be addressed when India entered into bilateral arrangements.
“How we will respond to bilateral arrangements, that will depend on the contracting parties,” Mukherjee said.