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Burns for expeditious action on India-U.S. nuclear deal

LONDON: Outgoing U.S. Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns on Tuesday sought to put pressure on India over the controversial 123 nuclear deal, saying that “we don’t have all the time in the world” to complete it.

Speaking at the Foreign Press Association here, Mr. Burns said that despite “broad” bipartisan support for the deal in Washington, it was important to push it through before the change of guard at the White House.

“We should now move forward and complete it,” he said.

Mr. Burns, who would continue to deal with the issue after stepping down from his post this summer, said the deal would “bring India out of its nuclear isolation” and be hugely beneficial to its energy needs.

Asked whether he agreed with U.S. ambassador to India David Mulford’s remarks that if New Delhi did not sign it now, it was unlikely that such a deal would be offered again, Mr. Burns avoided a direct reply but said there was need for “expeditious action for all concerned and that includes the Indian government.”

Mr. Mulford had said if the deal was not “processed” in the present Congress, it was unlikely that “this deal will be offered again to India.”

Mr. Burns sought to distance himself from Mr. Mulford’s gung-ho rhetoric, but the message was clear: that the time was running out and India must fall in line while President Bush was still in charge.

Mr. Burns’s remarks came as the CPI(M) stepped up its campaign against the deal. Party general secretary Prakash Karat had said: “We would like the Government of India to initiate a comprehensive talk with the new administrative dispensation that would come to power in the U.S. after the coming presidential elections.”

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