Rice to canvass support for NSG `waiver' for India

According to David Mulford, US ambassador to India, Rice's campaign would be part of the 'coordinated' efforts between two countries to mobilise support for the waiver, which is mandatory for operationalisation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

He said Rice had already spoken to China on the waiver and we 'expect a positive response from them in the NSG.'

The envoy, who is currently in the US holding consultations with the Bush administration on India, said the US is expecting to get a `clean' waiver from the NSG for India by the end of August. ``This is a historic moment and countries are expected to take a political decision on which side of the history they are - whether they want to engage themselves with India or not,'' Mulford said during a tele-conference with the Delhi-based media persons.

The Bush administration, he said, is working on the time-line which would seen the NSG clearing a waiver for India by the end of August so that the Indo-US civil Nuclear agreement could be placed before the US Congress by September.

The US envoy said the first meeting of the NSG is likely to be held in early August after the International atomic energy agency (IAEA) clears the safeguards agreement with India by July end.

``Some countries might ask for a second meeting of the NSG, which could be held in the later part of the months. But even then we have enough time to place the deal before the Congress in time,'' Mulford said.

Referring to New Delhi's demand that the NSG give a 'clear and unconditional waiver' to India Mulford said "probably it would be proper to ask for a clean waiver which is not laden with details."