Can consider changes in draft, but won’t let it block n-deal: Boucher

Washington hopes to place the deal for the final approval of the US Congress on the first day of its next session which starts on September 8 and even though the deal would be as good next year as it is this year, the aim remains to clinch it under President George W Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Boucher.

Boucher was speaking to reporters in Mumbai even as the NSG began a last day of deliberations in Vienna where some members have asked Washington to consider amendments to the draft it has circulated in

what they say is the larger interest of non-proliferation. Key among them is a need to make it clear that nuclear trade with India would end if New Delhi conducts a nuclear test and a reference to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

He said questions being raised by member countries about the exemptions being given to India are “good questions” but they had “good answers”. “We don’t see any reason for any changes but we do have to listen to countries. But if it comes down to it that something might be done that is acceptable, we and India could agree to, then we’ll do it. Otherwise we will have to keep answering the questions and keep pushing for a clean exception,” he added.

“But as I said, we are not going to allow anything that will harm or impede cooperation. We are not going to put anything in it that is going to make it impossible to carry out the deal on either side, we are not going to put anything that changes the terms of the agreement. As far as we are concerned we reached the agreement with India, it’s been public through the communiqués, through the statements, and that’s the deal and that’s what you got to say yes or no to,” Boucher said categorically.

... contd.