New Delhi: Batting for early conclusion of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger today warned that a delay could impact upon prospects of such a cooperation as the critics would be "better organised" two years later.

He said India must implement the deal "for its own reasons" and not "as a favour to" or "under pressure" from the US. "If the agreement is not completed during the tenure of the Bush administration, "the new administration in 2009 will negotiate a new agreement and submit it for Congress approval and the same steps would repeat," Kissinger said at a seminar here.

"Those opposed to the deal would be better organised two years from now," he added.

The former high profile State Department chief, who met BJP leader L K Advani yesterday, sought to emphasise that he was not here to push the deal. "Inevitably, this issue figured in our discussions. He (Advani) explained his perception of India s necessities," he said adding "I did not make any particular attempt to influence" the BJP leader.

Lauding the bilateral relationship, he said, "There is a perception in the US that fundamental interests of both sides are parallel. This is not defined by any single agreement but by basic national interests."

Source : PTI