PM, Bush discuss N-deal over phone

Amid uncertainty over the fate of Indo-US civil nuclear deal, President George W Bush today called up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed the issue.

During the 10-minute conversation this evening, the two leaders also exchanged views on the stalled Doha Round of WTO talks and developments relating to Pakistan and Afghanistan, External Affairs Ministry said.

The North Korean nuclear tests and the subsequent UN sanctions also came up for discussions.

With regard to the civil nuclear deal, Bush and Singh are understood to have discussed its future considering that the Bill on it could not be taken up for vote by the US Senate during its last session last month, ahead of the November 7 Congressional elections.

The legislation could not be considered because of paucity of time and it is hoped that it will now be taken up during the brief 'lame-duck' session after the Congressional elections.

If the Bill is not taken up for vote during the 'lame-duck' session, it will spill over to the next Congress which will convene in January next year and the entire process has to begin anew.

The legislation on the deal has already been passed by the House of Representatives.

The PM on Saturday said India had been assured by the Bush administration that it would use its influence to ensure that the Bill went through the Congress.

After the North Korean nuclear test, fears have been expressed that the development may have an impact on the Indo-US deal which provides for resumption of nuclear trade with India. However, the US has rejected any comparison between the nuclear programmes of India and North Korea.

Singh had also asserted last week that there was no similarity between the two, citing India's impeccable record on non-proliferation, which is not in the case of North Korea.

Bush and Singh also discussed the Doha Round of trade negotiations, two days after the PM made it clear that the talks could make no progress till the US came up with a "pragmatic offer" on agriculture subsidies issue.

New Delhi, while maintaining its commitment to the Round, has emphasised that forward movement on these talks could take place only after the US and European Union settle their differences on the farm subsidy issue.

Singh said India was ready to play a constructive role once the US and EU resolve their differences.