India and the US have inched closer to concluding an agreement on arrangements and procedures for reprocessing US-origin spent fuel with the Indian camp exuding confidence that an understanding on this crucial remaining step of the nuclear deal will be reached before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets US President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

According to reliable sources, India has also given the P-810 assurances which is a pre-requisite for US nuclear power companies to conduct business abroad. These assurances relate reaffirming commitments on peaceful uses and non-proliferation as enshrined in the 123 agreement. Also, the government has cleared nuclear Liabilities Bill that will be tabled in this session of Parliament, another pre-requisite for US companies as it clarifies the compensation rules in case of an accident in nuclear facilities.  

With these two steps having been taken, the only remaining element from the nuclear deal was the agreement on reprocessing arrangements. An extra push was given to the talks after an inconclusive third round earlier this month. A fourth round was hurriedly arranged in Washington from Friday. Though these talks are still underway, sources said differences had been whittled down to one or two resolvable issues.

It’s reliably learnt that the PM took the lead in ensuring that the last stretch of the nuclear deal is completed faster than expected. A former PMO official Venkatesh Verma, who was associated with nuclear deal last year, was flown in specially to Washington to help conclude the negotiations due to his expertise in the subject. According to the 123 agreement, the two sides were to complete the reprocessing agreement within a stipulated one-year period from the commencement of talks.

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