Saran to explain nuclear deal to US lawmakers

In a follow-up to the Indo-US deal on civil nuclear cooperation, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran will visit Washington from tomorrow to clear doubts several American lawmakers have about the agreement. He will also hold talks with senior officials of the US administration.

Saran will be in Washington for four days during which he will meet US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns and discuss follow-up action on the deal, clinched in New Delhi on March 2, during the visit of President George W Bush.

Saran and Burns will be meeting close on the heels of the US failing to persuade the 45-country Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to include the issue of allowing India to buy sensitive nuclear technology from the world market on its agenda for the Rio de Janeiro plenary session in May.

A US delegation led by assistant secretaries of state Richard Boucher and Stephen Rademaker failed to convince countries like Japan and China at the NSG's two-day consultative meeting in Vienna that concluded on Thursday.

Saran is expected to meet US lawmakers in the backdrop of reservations expressed by several of them over the deal. Several Congressmen have said that they need to debate and discuss the deal thoroughly. It is likely that they will seek answers from Saran.

Significantly, the foreign secretary's visit coincides with the debate on the deal in the US Congress, which is required to pass a law endorsing the agreement.

During his stay, Saran is also scheduled to deliver a lecture on "Indo-US Relations: an agenda for the future" at the Conservative Heritage Foundation. He will also address a press conference.