New Delhi: US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice has arrived in India for a round of meetings across the political and bureaucratic spectrum. However, her arrival takes place in an uncertain atmosphere with a number of unanswered questions continuing to dog the newly ratified 123Agreement.

This, it could be said, would be at par for the agreement, which has experienced twists and turns at every stage.

In remarks to the media on her way to New Delhi, Rice said the reason the 123 Agreement could not be signed was more bureaucratic than substantive. "There are a lot of administrative details that have to be worked out," she told reporters.

"I'll let you know (if the signing is on) but the whole purpose of this trip is to move forward, not to look at where we are," she added.

Both houses of the US Congress cleared the nuclear deal this week, but US president George W Bush is yet to sign it into law.

Without getting into details, Rice said she was eligible to initial the deal without having to wait for the president's signature. This, apparently, is not acceptable to the Indian side, which would much rather await the presidential seal before moving ahead.

Differences about the purpose of the visit became apparent when the US embassy clarified that a "signing  ceremony" was no longer planned after distributing a press booklet for the trip that showed the event lined up for 2.00 pm Saturday.

NPT strikes back
The reason the Indians may be hesitating to initial the agreement would have less to do with a fondness for presidential seals and more to do with some realpolitik that the US administration may have indulged in to get the agreement cleared by the US Congress.

Almost as soon as the nuclear deal cleared the US House of Representatives, Daryl Kimball, executive director of the US Arms Control Association, which, as an organisation devoted to non-proliferation activities, has been persistently hostile to the nuclear pact, revealed to the media that Rice had made certain promises to the Congress in return for its quick adoption.

According to Kimball, Rice had pledged to work hard to have the NSG "amend its guidelines to prohibit the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technology to states that haven't signed the NPT."

Kimball had made the revelation when queried about the about-turn made by Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a persistent critic who voted for the pact.

After123, its 4...
As for the pact itself, on Friday a State Department spokesman outlined four steps needed to be undertaken before both countries are able to commence nuclear trade.

"Before civil nuclear trade can commence with India, some procedural actions must occur," the spokesman was quoted as saying. He was asked to outline the process for implementing the 123 Agreement following its Congressional approval.

According to the spokesman, first, the United States and India must sign the US-India Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (123 Agreement). This text has been finalised and initialled since July 2007.

Second, president George W Bush must sign into law the legislation recently passed by Congress approving the 123 Agreement.

Third, after it becomes law, the President will make two certifications required under the law:

(1) that conclusion and implementation of the agreement by its terms is consistent with US obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and

(2) that it is the policy of the United States to work with members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group to further restrict transfers of equipment and technology related to uranium enrichment and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.

4. Following the certifications, India and the United States will exchange diplomatic notes pursuant to Article 16(1) of the 123 Agreement, thereby bringing the agreement into force.

Dinner time conversation
These, more likely, may be the reasons why a "signing ceremony" may have been cancelled, and president Bush may have held back issuing a signing statement carrying his signatures. India would be interested in seeing the extent to which president Bush toes the line, or alters requirements keeping Indian susceptibilities in mind.

It may sound strange, but the fact may well be that negotiations on the Indo-US nuclear deal may not yet be over despite the fact the both houses of the US Congress have cleared it and a country such as France has already stepped forward to become the first country to sign a nuclear cooperation pact with India in the new scheme of things.

When Rice and Dr Manmohan Singh settle down for dinner tonight at the Indian premier's residence they may be chewing more than just kebabs.