Washington:India's key negotiator on the civil nuclear dealwith the United States,Shyam Saran, wound up talks with senior officials on the next steps to be takenfor implementing the deal.

 

Saran, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's special envoy on thedeal, met President George Bush's National Security Advisor Steve Hadley Fridayafter another round of discussions with his American counterpart, UnderSecretary of State for Political Affairs Nick Burns.

Saran-Burns parleys focused on the conceptual issues thathave an impact and bearing on the negotiations on the implementing 123agreement that would resume nuclear trade between the two countries after 30years.

The Indian envoy is believed to have conveyed to hisinterlocutors India's continued concerns over certain 'extraneous andprescriptiv' provisions of the US law relating to India's Iran policy, NSGtransfer guidelines and a joint scientific cooperative nuclearnon-proliferation programme.

Although the UShas conveyed that certain sections of the USlaw outlining the 'Sense of Congress' and policy guidelines are 'non-binding', India is stillconcerned over provisions relating to conditional access to reprocessingtechnology and reprocessing of spent fuel.

New Delhiis also not ready to accept any legally binding provision on future nucleartesting in the bilateral agreement, Saran has said. Nor would it agree tofissile material controls under any bilateral pact, but only within amultilateral framework.

Apart from the bilateral agreement with US, India also hasto work to do on an additional protocol with the International Atomic EnergyAgency (IAEA) for safeguards on its civilian nuclear power reactors and get anexemption from the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

When finalised the 123 agreement has to again go to the UScongress now controlled by Democrats for a fast track 'up or down' vote.

 The Congress caneither approve or reject it in toto within a specified time frame, but can'toffer amendments.