Nuke deal with Pakistan not on the table; Indo-US deal unique, says US

Washington: With news filtering in from Beijing that Pakistan may not have succeeded in getting strategic ally, and long time friend,  the People's Republic of China, to provide it with a nuclear deal similar to that accorded India, comes another slap on the wrists – this time by the United States, another strategic ally and long time friend.  A senior Bush administration official said the United States is committed to cooperate with Pakistan to meeting its energy needs but "a civilian nuclear deal with it was not on the table".

Assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs, Richard Boucher termed the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal as "unique to India and not a model to replicate."

"We are absolutely committed to working with Pakistan on its energy needs. And during the strategic partnership meeting we had with the Foreign Minister and others who were here, we talked about Pakistan's energy needs. We talked about how to improve the cooperation," Richard Boucher said during a Roundtable on Pakistan recently, the transcript of which has just been released by the State Department.

When asked about "nuclear cooperation" with Pakistan, Boucher said the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal was India- specific and should not be seen as some kind of a model that could be replicated elsewhere. "It is just not on the table. The agreement we have with India is unique to India, not a model for anything else," he said.

With respect to Pakistan's energy problems, Boucher said, "So we are going to help Pakistan, work with it on its energy potential which has a uniquely Pakistani character. We really need to reinforce our efforts and Pakistan side want us to do more. We would try to step up our cooperation," he said.