Indo-US N-deal: A bit more to chew on than kebabs

04 October 2008

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.