New Delhi, July 24
US President George W. Bush today telephoned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and is understood to have pledged Washington’s commitment to completing the nuclear deal as quickly as possible.
Indian officials confirmed that the two leaders had a telephonic conversation, but declined to divulge the details of their conversation.
The two leaders reviewed the progress made so far in operationalising the deal worked out by them in July 2005.
Bush also told the Prime Minister that he desired to continue working with New Delhi to strengthen the Indo-US strategic relationship. It is understood that they also discussed WTO talks.
Bush’s call is being considered significant in diplomatic circles as it came just days before the IAEA board of governors meets in Vienna to finalise the India-specific safeguards agreement.
In Perth, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she would work hard to convince the U.S. Congress to agree to the deal, according to a Reuters report.
“It is certainly our hope that we can get through all of the processes and get this done in the Congress and we are going to work very expeditiously towards that goal,” said Rice, in her first public comments since the vote.
The agreement has fairly broad bipartisan support in Congress.
