US working hard on nuclear deal, Bush tells Manmohan

WASHINGTON - US President George W Bush met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here Thursday, saying that the White House is making great effort to get US-India nuclear agreement approved by the US Congress.

“We are working hard to get it passed as quickly as possible,” Bush said while talking to Manmohan Singh at the White House. “It’s in the US interest to have a good strong strategic relationship with India.”

Under US-India nuclear agreement signed in March 2006, India will get access to US nuclear technology on the condition that India is to separate nuclear facilities for civilian and military use and open its nuclear facilities for inspection.

The Bush administration believes that the US-India Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation (also known as the 123 Agreement) will bolster international non-proliferation efforts, provide economic and business opportunities in both countries, and help India address its growing energy needs in an environmentally responsible manner.

However, American critics described the agreement as “a bad deal for everyone.”