'Little time for Bush to get N-deal approved'

NEW DELHI: The Bush administration will have very little time to get the bilateral agreement for civil nuclear cooperation with India approved, even if the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) okays nuclear commerce with the country, the head of a prominent American think tank said here on Thursday.

Speaking at the conference on US-India ties in the Asian context, Edwin Feulner, president of the Heritage Foundation, said the timeline was “tight” for the US administration to approve the bilateral agreement.

“With the US Congress likely to meet for only 11 days before the presidential elections in November, time is certainly tight,” said Feulner.

He was hopeful that the US administration would favourably consider India's case, given its record in nuclear non-proliferation and the importance of the deal in helping India meet its energy needs.

Asserting that India had an important role especially in the South Asian context, Feulner said: “India's growth is a positive development for not only the Asian region but for all democracies.

"But we need to examine new ideas and policies overcoming our differences in perceptions and policies.”

The 45-nation NSG is meeting in Vienna Thursday and Friday to consider an India-specific exemption.