New Delhi
26 March 2008
Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee has told United
States President George W Bush that the India-US nuclear deal will have to wait till the
differences with the UPA's Communist allies and the opposition BJP are resolved.
"We are trying to resolve the issues but it may take some more time," he said in the
clearest indication yet that New Delhi will not meet Washington's deadline of getting the
deal past the US Congress before Mr Bush leaves the White House in January 2009.
Mr Mukherjee on Tuesday told a news conference held at the Willard Hotel towards the
end of his two-day visit to the US that it is difficult for him to indicate a particular time
frame by which the UPA Government will be able to close the deal.
He attributed the UPA Government's go-slow on the nuclear deal to the "ideological
perception" of the UPA's Communist allies and the BJP's "on record" opposition to the
terms of the nuclear pact.
"Events have their own momentum. We are interested in pursuing the deal and if we can
evolve a consensus, it will be possible to hasten the process but it is difficult to predict a
time frame. Let us see how things move," he told a reporter who wanted to know what
will happen to the nuclear deal if there is no consensus.
This process of evolving the broadest possible consensus is time consuming and it is
"taxing our patience" but we do feel it is worth pursuing, Mr Mukherjee added, before
launching into a tutorial on the essence of parliamentary democracy.
He said the Constitution of India does not recognise minority government; only a
government which enjoys the confidence of the Lok Sabha is considered a government
having a majority.
There are divergent views on the nuclear deal with the Left parties, who extend support
to the UPA Government from outside without participating in the government, insisting
that the possibilities of harnessing hydel power and adopting clean coal technology
should be explored, and the opposition BJP threatening to renegotiate the deal if it is
voted back to power.
"Therefore taking [this] into account, even if we sign an important international
agreement, if it is subsequently not honoured by next government, it may be an
embarrassing situation," he explained. "We want to avoid that situation."
He clarified it was not a question of sacrificing either the government or the nuclear deal.
"We are currently engaged in resolving issues and trying to find out whether there is a
meeting point," he iterated, adding that the UPA Government is interested in fructifying
the nuclear cooperation with the United States because India is energy-deficient and
harnessing nuclear energy can help the country sustain nine to 10 per cent annual
economic growth for the next 20 years.
Mr Mukherjee insisted there is an "overwhelming consensus" that nuclear technology is
important, that nuclear energy is a clean source of energy, and that it should be part of
India's energy mix. He told another reporter that in informed circles in India there is a
broad consensus on the need of augmenting energy generation capabilities for
sustaining high economic growth.
On the negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Secretariat for an
India-specific safeguards agreement, Mr Mukherjee said New Delhi has finalised the
language of the text but it has not been signed yet.
India needs to sign the IAEA safeguards agreement before the US can approach the
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for an India-specific waiver.
Mr Mukherjee amplified the UPA Government's position at a closed door session at the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Monday. "One of the unique
characteristics of our foreign policy and national security outlook is that they are based
on a broad national consensus. While there has always been debate and dissent on the
best ways in which to achieve our foreign policy priorities, a national consensus once
arrived at, transcends party politics and even changes of government. For example, the
multiple opinions on the India-US nuclear initiative in India and outside disguise the
fundamental common understanding that energy security for India is vital and that
nuclear energy through national means as well as international collaboration is a vital
part of it," he said.
If Mr Mukherjee sounded pessimistic about the deal coming to fruition anytime soon,
White House insisted there was still some more time before it can say "now or never" on
the agreement. "Well, we have a little bit of time before we have to say now or never.
We've got several months to continue to work with them. And actually that deal is
supported by bipartisan members on Capitol Hill, as well, so they're helping to move
this along," White House Spokesperson Dana Perino told a news conference on
Tuesday.
Washington has said the nuclear deal should clear the US Congress by July as it will
take its recess in August and many lawmakers will be busy campaigning for the
November presidential elections after that. Department of State Spokesman Sean
McCormack said the main issue now is the Indian Government working its domestic
politics. "I think as that you get further and further into the Congressional calendar, I
think it's fair to say it's more and more difficult just because of the political realities of
the press of business," McCormack added.
Mr Mukherjee has invited US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to visit India at a
mutually convenient date. "She has accepted this invitation," he said, adding that his
discussions with the US leadership reinforced the UPA Government's view that the India-
US relationship is robust and forward-leaning and answers to the interests of both
countries.
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