Click to play videoWashington: A last minute breakthrough at the Indo-US talks on the 1-2-3 agreement appears to have rescued the nuclear deal. It's been a grueling week for Indian and US negotiators working to break the deadlock over the 123-agreement in Washington DC.
By mid-week it appeared the two sides had failed yet again. But then came an unexpected announcement that negotiations between National Security Advisor, MK Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and US Undersecretary State Nicholas Burns would spill into two more unscheduled days of meetings.
Sources confirm that US acceptance of two key Indian demands broke the deadlock
It appears that Washington has agreed to grant India the reprocessing rights. United States has also guaranteed fuel supply for the American reactors that India will buy.
Sources say that India's offer to house spent American fuel in a separate IAEA safeguarded facility eased concerns about New Delhi diverting imported fuel for its strategic weapons programme.
However neither side is saying publicly if an agreement has been reached. A joint statement released on Friday said both governments would review the agreement.
Sources say that the intervention by US Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday gave the decisive political push that ultimately broke the deadlock.
Both sides however need to take critical steps before the nuclear deal can be implemented. India must conclude a safeguards plan with the IAEA, following which the US congress will need to give its final approval to the deal.
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