NEW DELHI, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- India has lowered expectation that its nuclear deal with the United States can be pushed through quickly.
Indian officials have geared up efforts to persuade the United States and other members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group to hasten the process. U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns is in the country to discuss this and other issues.
"We always knew it would be an uphill task. But the important thing is that many Nuclear Suppliers Group countries are inclined to look positively at the agreement between India and the U.S. on nuclear civilian energy," said a senior Foreign Ministry official, the Times of India reported Friday.
Russia, Canada, France and Britain - key NSG members -- supported the U.S. proposal to relax nuclear export controls on India as a one-off exception. They also recognized India's nonproliferation record to meet its energy requirement.
Following an agreement between India and the United States in July, Washington agreed to supply nuclear energy to India for its civilian facilities.
The NSG meeting in Vienna deferred a decision on India becoming a member of the regime after resistance from Sweden, Japan and New Zealand.
"The NSG would not meet in May next year and it appears impossible that a decision on India's entry into the nuclear regime is made before the visit of the U.S. President George W. Bush to India next year," said a former Indian diplomat.
