New Delhi, March 13
The US has made it clear that it was not averse to wrapping up the nuclear deal with a minority government in India, seeking to set at rest questions over the fate of the agreement if Left parties were to withdraw support to the ruling UPA.
“Our basic government position is that we can sign an agreement with a duly-constituted government, whatever its political status,” US assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher said in an interview to ‘Outlook’ magazine.
He was responding when referred to external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee’s comment that a minority government “cannot, need not and should not sign a major agreement” like the nuclear deal.
“As long as it is duly constituted government of the country, we can sign a deal with it,” Boucher said.
India and the US have concluded negotiations on the 123 Agreement for cooperation in civil nuclear field, but are yet to sign it formally.
Asked whether Indian officials discussed the possibility of signing a deal with a minority or a caretaker government, Boucher said, “I don’t remember it actually coming up at all during my meetings with Indian officials.” Quizzed further on Mukherjee’s remarks, the US official said, “that’s a political judgement that the minister in his political role is going to make.”
— PTI
