Indian PM talks to Bush on nuke deal
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Nov 16, IRNA
India-US-PM
Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh today talked to the US President George W. Bush on the telephone and discussed the proposed American legislation on the Indo-US deal for cooperation in civil nuclear energy and other "current matters".
"The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the President's commitment to the passage of the legislation and hoped that the Bill in its final form will accommodate India's stated concerns", P M's Media Advisor Sanjaya Baru said in a statement.
The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the state of bilateral relations between India and the US, Baru said.
The conversation lasted about five minutes.
India has said it would walk out of the nuclear deal if the US law deviated from the September 2005 agreement and the separation plan announced by Singh in Parliament.
New Delhi's main concerns relate to a reported move in the US to cap India's nuclear program to maintain a credible minimum deterrence and subject the deal to an annual clearance from the US Congress.
According to a report from Washington, the US Senate will take up the US-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Bill (S 3709) later today soon after conducting morning business.
Assistant Majority Leader Mitch McConnel, who made this announcement on the Senate floor on Wednesday, said they had reached an agreement to limit their amendments to the bill.
"It is my hope that we will be able to expedite consideration of the final passage tomorrow", he said.
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