Friday, March 17 2006 12:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Indicating that the passage of the bill in Congress to facilitate implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal would not be a smooth affair, the Bush administration has said while it was open to ideas from lawmakers on ways to strengthen the accord, it was against 'renegotiating' the 'complex' agreement as it would risk never reassembling it again.

Citing India's good track record on non-proliferation, the administration also sought to silence critics of the deal, saying the pact would not enhance New Delhi's nuclear weapons programme or lead to an arms race in the region.

Hours after the administration tabled a bill in the Congress seeking to amend the US Atomic Energy Act to facilitate the deal, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns noted that the agreement was a break from the 'conventional wisdom of the past' and members are looking for testimony that will lay out this plan in some detail and wanting to ask questions.

Burns said though Congress members are welcome to put forward their suggestions, the administration would not like to renegotiate the deal.

"This is a complex agreement. To reopen it, we're probably at risk of never being able to achieve it again and to reassemble it. So what we've said to members of Congress who have raised this with us is that we welcome all ideas. There may be ideas that do not require renegotiation, that may help to reinforce or strengthen this agreement. We're open to all of them. But we wish not to renegotiate", he said.

Burns said "We have said to members if you can get us ideas that do not require us to renegotiate the deal, but that might strengthen it by asking the United States or, for instance, to certify certain things that may happen in the future, that would be welcome. And we've already received such ideas".

The administration is keen on Congressional passage of the Bill by April-end so that Washington could approach the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to change its policy on facilitating transfer of nuclear fuel to India, which has not signed the NPT. The 45-nation body, which monitors nucleartransfers, is scheduled to meet in May.

Stressing that India is a trustworthy partner and has a good track record on non proliferation, he said, "It's interesting that a lot of countries around the world have a lot of experience with India in a nuclear realm. And of course, a lot of countries have taken a close look at India's record on nonproliferation."

"And the consensus that I hear, talking to most of the members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, is that we all agree on one thing. India, while it's been outside the NPT has conformed to a lot of the practices of the countries inside the NPT, which is another anomaly of India's current state,"he said.

The senior official said the administration fundamentally disagreed with the argument that the civilian nuclear deal enabled India to enhance its nuclear weapons programme.

"All of us agree that India does have a good record in not proliferating its nuclear technology and nuclear materials. So people are free to make charges, whatever charges they want. That is the consensus opinion internationally," he said.