David Mulford meets with PM

NEW DELHI: US ambassador to India David Mulford met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday, hours after the Indian government made public the text of a draft of its safeguards pact with the IAEA.

According to diplomatic sources, Mulford visited the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) late morning to discuss the future steps to navigate the draft agreement through the IAEA Board of Governors.

He was also expected have briefed Manmohan Singh about his meetings with envoys of nearly two dozen countries belonging to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on Wednesday.

US embassy officials, however, refused to give any details on the envoy's meeting with the prime minister.

After India's safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is approved by the Board of Governors and signed by the two parties, the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) will consider changing its guidelines on nuclear commerce in India's favour.

The India-US nuclear deal will then go to the US Congress for approval. With only 40 legislative days left in the Congressional calendar after the house returns from recess later this year, the process will have to be fast-tracked at each stage for the 123 agreement to come before the two chambers of US Congress.