“The Prime Minister explained to President Bush that certain difficulties have arisen with respect to the operationalisation of the India-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement,” stated a release issued here by Prime Minister’s Office.

Bush made the phone call to the Prime Minister who is in Nigeria on an official visit and will then travel to South Africa for the Second IBSA Summit in Johannesburg.

The release said Bush called Singh — it’s rare for two heads of state to speak to each other from a third country — and discussed both the deal and issues relating to the Doha Round of the World Trade Organisation.

Though speculation was rife whether the US was being told the deal was “dead”, the PM, it’s learnt, told Bush about the constraints his government was facing over the deal. There was no word on whether Singh assured Bush that his government was making efforts to resolve the “difficulties” with the deal.

ENS adds from New Delhi: In New Delhi, US Ambassador David C Mulford met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, seeking to know India’s mind on the future of the agreement.

Mulford had been trying to meet Mukherjee for sometime, possibly to set up this teleconference but Mukherjee hadn’t been giving time. Sources indicated this was possibly to avoid sending a wrong message to the Left. But the October 9 meeting and the PM’s subsequent remarks created enough anxiety. Hence, the call and the meeting today.

But it’s learnt that India has told the US that all efforts are being made to ensure timely operationalisation of the deal. India feels some flexibility may be needed in the timeline currently proposed by the US.

Mulford, it’s learnt, briefed PM’s Special Envoy Shyam Saran last month that White House intended to approach the US Congress in January third week to ensure smooth passage of the deal. So, working backwards, it was concluded that the IAEA safeguards and then the NSG exemption should be done by December.