Washington: India's key negotiator on the civil nuclear dealwith the United States, Shyam Saran, has begun a dialogue here on how to takeit forward following the passage of the enabling US law.

Saran, Prime Minister's special envoy on the deal, had around of discussions here Thursday with his American counterpart, UnderSecretary of State for Political Affairs Nick Burns. He is set to meet himagain today (Feb 2, 2007) besides calling on President George Bush's NationalSecurity Advisor Steve Hadley.

Saran, who is here to discuss the timetable of talks overthe 123 Agreement, so named after the relevant section of the US Atomic EnergyAct 1954 to implement the civil nuclear deal, is also expected to conveyIndia's continued concerns over certain provisions of the US law to hisinterlocutors.

Saran-Burns talk focus on conceptual issues that have animpact and bearing on the negotiations on the agreement as also drafts of the 123agreement proposed by either side.

Soon after signing 'Henry J. Hyde United States-IndiaPeaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act of 2006' into law last December, Bushhad sought to allay India's concerns over certain "extraneous andprescriptive" provisions by declaring that he was not bound to follow themat all.

"My approval of the Act does not constitute my adoptionof the statements of policy as US foreign policy," he declared in apresidential statement assuring that three sections -103, 104 and 109 relating to India's Iran policy, NSG transfer guidelines and a joint scientificcooperative nuclear non-proliferation programme would at best be treated as 'advisory'.

However, these continue to raise hackles in New Delhi where there is little awareness about what are called'binding' and 'non-binding' provisions of a law enacted by the US Congress asparliament is considered supreme in India.

Once finalised the implementing 123 agreement has to againgo before the US Congress, now controlled by Democrats, for a fast track up anddown vote, which means that it can either approve it or reject it, but withoutany amendments.