India Buys More Time on Nuke Deal

The Times of India
Mar 24, 2008

WASHINGTON: The US-India nuclear agreement is not dead. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has sought more time from Washington to fulfill New Delhi's part of the bargain, saying the UPA government in New Delhi is still trying to resolve differences with its coalition partners on the subject. Clearly buying more time for the UPA government to consummate the deal, Mukherjee also gave an update on the talks with the IAEA on the safeguards agreement but held out no assurance that the government will be able to seal and deliver the deal before the June time-line that Washington has laid down. The nuclear deal issue figured only briefly at the talks between Mukherjee and his US counterpart Condoleezza Rice on Monday morning, but more intimate parleys on the subject are expected in the afternoon (after midnight IST) when Mukherjee meets President Bush in the White House, and at his dinner date with Rice in the evening. That's when extended discussions on the possible timeline and choreography, including the fallout of going ahead with the deal -- or reneging on it -- is expected.