Washington: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has reiterated India's desire to implement its stalled civil nuclear deal with the US, but made clear that no deadline can be set to do so.

"At this juncture I cannot indicate any time frame by which we can complete the process" of resolving problems with the government's Left supporters who are opposed to the deal, he said.

"It may take some more time," said Mukherjee, who met President George Bush and had extensive discussions with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice besides sharing "Perspectives on India-US relations" with a group of scholars at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"It's not a question of sacrificing either the government or the deal," he said when asked if the United Progressive Alliance was willing to sacrifice the government for the sake of the deal if no consensus was reached before the July deadline set by US lawmakers for ratification of the implementing 123 agreement.

Source : IANS