Bush hails Senate nod for Indo-US deal

WASHINGTON: Hailing the Senate approval for the Indo-US nuclear deal, US President George W Bush on Friday said the historic agreement would place India on the international non-proliferation mainstream and increase the credibility of its civilian nuclear programme.

The Senate's nod for the 'US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation agreement' bill also evoked overwhelming response from US Congressmen, including influential lawmakers like Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Richard Lugar, Democrat Joseph Biden and Senate Majority leader Bill Frist.

There were voices of disappointment as well especially from sceptics and critics of the nuclear deal who have already made known their position.

Bush, in a statement in Singapore before leaving for Vietnam, said the Senate's approval for the deal has further strengthened the relationship between the two great democracies and he is looking forward to signing the Bill very soon.

"The US and India enjoy a strategic partnership based upon common values. Today, the Senate has acted to further strengthen this relationship by passing legislation that will deliver energy, nonproliferation, and trade benefits to the citizens of two great democracies," he said.

"The agreement will bring India into the international nuclear non-proliferation mainstream and will increase the transparency of India's entire civilian nuclear programme," he said.

"By increasing India's demand for civil nuclear technology, fuel and support services, this historic agreement creates new business opportunities for American companies and enhances our trade relationship. I appreciate the Senate's leadership on this important legislation and look forward to signing this bill into law soon," the President said.

Bush also expressed hope that as India's economy continues to grow, this partnership will help New Delhi "meet its energy needs without increasing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It will also help reduce India's dependence upon imported fossil fuels."

The thumping bipartisan passage (85-12) of the bill aftera day long debate in the Senate was welcomed in Capitol Hill.

Democrat Joseph Biden, the incoming Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who was instrumental along with current chair Richard Lugar in the passage of the bill, said the passage of the legislation is a "giant step closer" to shifting forever US-India relations.

This shift would increase the prospect of stability and progress in South Asia and the world at large, he said.

"The US-India agreement is also much more than just a nuclear deal. I believe historians will see this as a historic step, part of the dramatic and positive departure in theUS-India relationship that was begun by President Clinton and continued by President Bush," Biden said in a statement.

"I, along with Lugar, yield to no one in our commitment to nuclear nonproliferation. This bill allows civil nuclear cooperation with India to proceed and end India's nuclear isolation but does so without seriously jeopardizing the hard won nonproliferation gains of nearly four decades," he said.

Commending his colleugues for approving the legislation, Frist said the legislation is "vital to advancing America's strategic partnership with India. "I am confident that we can now work closely with our colleagues in the House to get this important measure to the President as swiftly as possible".

"A majority of India's nuclear reactors will now be placed under international safeguards and India will take a number of additional steps to bring itself into the non-proliferation mainstream and improve nuclear safety," he said.

 The Majority Whip Mitch McConnel said the Senate has taken a "historic step" to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two largest democracies.

"This legislation not only makes America safer by reinforcing our strategic partnership with the world's largest democracy, but also helps us here at home by improving our energy security," McConnel said in a statement.

The co-chair of the US-India Senate Caucus Senator John Cornyn said the legislation "will not only advance our strategic relationship with India, but will strengthen our national security by bringing India into the mainstream of nuclear non-proliferation efforts. This legislation is a win-win for the United States and India".

The President of the US-India Business Council, Ron Somers, said the bill presents a win-win for the US-India commercial and strategic partnerships, the environment, safety, and nuclear non-proliferation.

"It lays the foundation for major trade and investment opportunities in India for US companies. As many as 27,000 high quality jobs each year for the next ten years will be created in the US nuclear industry alone as a result of this agreement," Somers said in a statement.