US, India on same page on nuclear deal: Official

The US and India are on the same page on the "breakthrough understanding" on the India-US nuclear deal, but the US companies would still have to make their own judgments, according to a senior US official.

Describing the resolution of the liability issue as a key element of President Barack Obama's "very successful visit to India", Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters Monday that Washington has encouraged India to make more information available on the understandings.

This is a part of India's "ongoing engagement with companies, so that people can have a clear understanding of what the way forward is", he said when asked about the "frequently asked questions" issued by India on the nuclear deal.

The US too had been able to consult "with our companies and brief them on the ongoing discussions that we've had through the contact group with India", Rhodes said.

India had Sunday made clear that there was no proposal to amend the nuclear liability law and that it was on par with international norms.

It had also clarified that the operator of the nuclear installation shall be liable for nuclear damage caused by a nuclear incident.

"So I think this is a sign of an effort to continue to move forward and using the breakthrough to try to open the space to resolve the concerns of US businesses so that they can participate in the Indian nuclear industry," Rhodes said.

"Again, as we said on the trip, companies are going to make their own judgments. They're going to look at the liability pool; they're going to look at India's, again, clarifications of its laws," he said.

"We believe as a government that we've reached a sufficient understanding, and now I think this process will continue," Rhodes said.

"And we're hopeful that it will lead to our companies having their concerns addressed and being able to participate in India," he said.

Rhodes, who was briefing the foreign media on the Obama administration's 2015 US National Security Strategy said the US focused "on a truly global approach" that reinforces America's core alliances in Europe and Asia but also seeks to capitalise on the emerging regions.

Obama has "invested a lot of time in our relationships in Africa, in East Asia and Southeast Asia, in India most recently with his trip, and in Latin America", he said.

"And there I think we're poised to continue to make significant progress."

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)