NEW DELHI, April 26 (UPI) -- Former U.S. ambassador to India Robert Blackwill said he was optimistic about that U.S. Congress would pass the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear agreement.
"I am optimistic that a significant majority in both Houses of the U.S. Congress will vote for it. They will support it and vote for it when the voting happens in the present form as it is being formulated," Blackwill said while addressing a business seminar in New Delhi. The Hindu newspaper Thursday cited Blackwill as saying that, in his view, the timeframe would be crucial, and while it appeared to be a very ambitious target, the deal had to be got through by June.
"It is very hard to do things rapidly in the U.S. Congress. It will be a daunting task to get the agreement through before the Congress adjourns by the end of June," Blackwill said.
Congress will reassemble in September, but will by then be preoccupied with mid-term elections, delaying approval for the deal.
The former U.S. envoy said Congress would have no problem in clearing the deal, and that approval would be granted on the basis of the strategic long-term relationship with India.
"India, too, should think seriously about its Muslim population and the rising radical Islamic terrorism. Can India remain completely immune to its Muslim population given the kind of Islamic terrorism that is rising in the Middle East?" he asked.
