Tuesday, April 25 2006 13:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The US has not changed its 'goalposts' in the nuclear deal with India and did not see New Delhi's refusal to accept a provision barring further nuclear tests as an issue that could scuttle the landmark agreement.

"There is no change in the goal posts, which unfortunately has somehow gotten into the media and become an issue. But it shouldn't be an issue because the goalposts haven't been moved. That is the reality," US Ambassador in India David Mulford said in an address at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think tank yesterday. "In the July agreement, the civil nuclear agreement, India made its own unilateral declaration confirming its policy that it was not going to be doing any testing. That is there, that was what was agreed," he said.

Describing the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement is a 'cornerstone' and 'win-win proposition' for both countries, Mulford said it would strongly serve the US national and global interest and help address India's growing energy needs.

He said the agreement signed between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W Bush on March 2 was still being worked out and that "There will have to be some sort of wording arrangement which have not been agreed."

"The US legislation whatever it says on this issue will be a matter for the US legislators and US law. The agreement between the US and India which is not the legislation but the agreement that is being worked out and there will have to be some sort of wording arrangements which has not been agreed, it's being discussed," Mulford said.