UPA, Left fail to break impasse over nuclear deal

Mumbai: The UPA government and its Left allies today ended a crucial meeting of the coordination committee on nuclear deal without reaching any conclusion. The meeting will now be held in April.

The government and the Left parties will now hold discussions on the draft India-specific safeguards agreement with the IAEA after the allies were briefed on the outcome of the negotiations in Vienna.

"The committee felt that further discussion is required. The next committee meeting will be held in April 2008," external affairs sinister and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee said after the meeting.

"The members of the committee felt that further discussion was needed. It was decided to hold the next meeting in April, 2008," added CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury who was by his side.

The government has provided copies of the draft agreement that it has reached with the IAEA to the Left parties.

Pranab Mukherjee, sources said, tried to assure the Left leaders over the safeguards agreement, but the Left refused to budge from its opposition to the nuke deal.