World | India
Little time to ratify India nuclear deal
Lack of time could be a problem for the controversial US-India nuclear agreement to be ratified by the US Congress, which started its session in Washington on Monday.
- By Pamela Raghunath, Correspondent
- Published: 23:49 September 8, 2008
Mumbai Lack of time could be a problem for the controversial US-India nuclear agreement to be ratified by the US Congress, which started its session in Washington on Monday.
It will not have the required 30 days for the legislation to be endorsed, said former US Ambassador to India Frank Wisner, a strong supporter of the deal.
"It would be tough to waiver the 30 days requirement," said Wisner at a Confederation of Indian Industry meeting.
"The unpredictable can happen" even though India has already crossed the two main hurdles-completing an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency and securing approval from 45 nations of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Ratification
It now waits for the ratification of the 123 agreement by the US Congress, which will adjourn its session by the end of the month.
Apart from the administration, there has been "intense lobbying by the US-India Business Council for the passage of the legislation," he said, to secure a unanimous consent for the deal.
"I myself will go and meet Congressman Howard Berman on September 18" to convince him that the nuclear agreement is important for the US. The ratification would mean business opportunities worth $100 billion [about Dh367 billion] for US companies.
Berman, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and a California Democrat, has been opposing the US-India civilian nuclear deal from the outset.
He also said there are arguments against a Lame Duck session being held in December after the presidential elections to complete unfinished business.
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