Describing the Senate approval of Indo-US nuclear deal as an "important milestone" in bilateral strategic ties, a top Republican Congressman has complimented Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his "great" leadership and political courage in securing the safeguards pact with IAEA so that this could have been made possible.
"The Senate's approval this week of the agreement concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy between the United States and India is an important milestone for our strategic partnership and joint commitment to energy security and energy independence," Senator George Voinovich said in a statement.
The Ohio Republican, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is the Ranking Member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, had voted for the legislation on Wednesday night.
"I have long been an advocate of safe and secure nuclear power as a pivotal piece of the energy independence puzzle because nuclear power provides a clean, reliable and cost-effective energy supply," he said.
This agreement will create thousands of high-tech jobs in the United States, encourage adoption of the safest, non-polluting energy-generation technology, help solve the energy needs of India's people and solidify relations with a "valued friend and partner" in the region, the Senator said.
The US and India share "vital national interests, including victory in the war against violent Islamic extremism, halting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and a commitment towards regional stability in South and Central Asia," he said.
"Prime Minister Singh, who I met with in New Delhi last December, demonstrated great leadership and political courage in securing a nuclear safeguards agreement with the IAEA that helped make this vote possible," he said.
