Click to play videoNew Delhi: Hours after India admitted lack of progress in talks between India and US on key outstanding issues on the civil nuclear agreement, US Under Secretary Nicholas Burns insisted the talks were very much on track.
Burns said the 1-2-3 agreement is “90 per cent done” but warned that compromises would have to be made by both sides.
In what seemed like light at the end of the nuclear tunnel, the US pointsman for the nuclear deal said he was optimistic about an agreement and the end of India's nuclear isolation.
"It's going to require a little bit more hard work and compromise. It's important for both governments," he said.
Addressing the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC, Burns said he will visit India soon to wrap up the deal.
Earlier, MEA spokesman Navtej Sarna said progress had been made in technical level talks in London on Monday and Tuesday. But outstanding issues remained to be addressed.
"Both sides made further progress in the Indo-US nuclear deal. But more work is required to bridge the remaining work," Sarna said.
The outstanding issues are India's insistence on its right to test , concern over the right to return clause, guarantees of uninterrupted fuel supplies and the right to reprocess spent fuel.
Obstacles have included a US Congress mandate that Washington halt nuclear cooperation if India tests a nuclear weapon as it did in 1998. Other disputed points have been US refusal to give India prior approval to allow reprocessing of spent fuel with US components and to assure permanent fuel supplies.
No Australian uranium for India
Australia has reiterated its refusal to sell uranium to India until it signs the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The latest salvo against India's reluctance to join the NPT framework has been fired by Australian Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane.
The Australian politician told Melbourne newspaper, The Age, that the ban on uranium sale to India would remain in force
till the South Asian country signs the NPT.
"The answer is no," Macfarlane was quoted as saying by The Age. "The Australian uranium industry can prosper without India, that's my answer. We have a prohibition on the basis that they have not signed the NPT."
Speculation was rife that Australia may relax its policy of not selling fuel for the burgeoning Indian civil nuclear plants. The Indo-US agreement to transfer nuclear technology was seen as a probable indicator for Australia to allow uranium exports to India.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has, however, been hinting at a relaxation in the policy of exporting uranium to India which is emerging as the leading trade partner for Australia.
India recently sent special "nuclear envoy" Shyam Sharan to negotiate the issue of uranium sales with Canberra. Australians seemed to have agreed in principal to facilitate the nuclear fuel exports.
"We see India as a very responsible country. The relationship between Australia and India is growing. It's a very important relationship. They will be considerations that we will bear in mind," Howard had said in response to Saran's mission.
However, the statement by the Australian Minister on Tuesday seems to have dragged the process back to square one. The Age also pointed out the apparent contradiction with the Australian Prime Minister's earlier statement.
"There has certainly been no discussion with me and I'm the guy who signs the export permits regarding the potential to supply India," Mcfarlane said, emphasising that he was simply reiterating this government's policy.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.