Friday, May 26 2006 16:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Amid persisting differences between the two countries over the issue of future nuclear testing by India, the US today (May 26,2006) said both sides were trying to 'find the right way' to articulate their understanding and it was confident that a way forward could be found.

US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, after his talks with Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran here to discuss the status of the civil nuclear deal in the US Congress, said both sides are aware of each other's views on the issue that has been part of discussions for over a year.

"We are trying now to find the right way to articulate the understanding that we have between the two governments and I am confident that we can find a way forward on that issue," he told NDTV here.

"I don't think it is a difficulty," he said, adding he was "rather optimistic" about the agreement in general.

The US, during ongoing negotiations on a proposed bilateral nuclear agreement, had presented a draft of the pact to India wherein it mentioned that cooperation with New Delhi could be snapped if it were to explode an atomic device.

Some US Congressmen have been pressing the Bush Administration to include the clause in the bilateral agreement with India before the legislation on the civilnuclear deal could be approved by the Congress.

India has emphasised that it will not accept any cap on its military nuclear programme, including testing. But it points out that it has already declared a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing and was committed to it which was also reflected in the July 18, 2005 Joint Statement.

Burns said the "Issue of nuclear testing is important in my own country and indeed is important to many countries around the world."

"However, the trick in diplomacy is when you are agreeing on something to find a way to articulate that agreement in such a way that it meets the interests of both governments and it is true to the understanding that the two sides have reached. So, I am not losing sleep over it," he said.