Saturday, June 24 2006 10:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Maintaining that the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal was in the best interests of America, leading US senator John Cornyn has urged fellow lawmakers to support legislation on the agreement and boost the strategic relationship between the two nations.

"As is so often the case, we agree on the ultimate objective, to reduce proliferation of nuclear weapons, but we differ about the means. I support this particular agreement because I think it is in the best interests of the US," said Cornyn, a co-sponsor of the legislation in the Senate.

"It is an important step in our strategic relationship, in our growing friendship. It will be another way the US and India can work together to make the world a safer place and the US can demonstrate its goodwill by providing civilian nuclear technology to a country that needs the energy," he said on the floor of the Senate yesterday.

The Texas lawmaker described India as a friend of the US and a country with a good record for non-proliferation.

"(India) has demonstrated its responsibility and its willingness to work with peace-loving partners like the US in a way that looks to this alternative of civilian nuclear energy but at the same time makes sure that the dangers of proliferation are reduced to a minimum," he said.

Cornyn said that a lot of people would be watching to see the reaction of the US Congress to the agreement which would make the US partner India 'for peaceful civilian use of nuclear power while avoiding the threat of proliferation and the possibility that terrorists might acquire a nuclear weapon or it might proliferate to some other irresponsible party and then endanger the US or allies'.