The Hindu : Front Page : Nuclear deal will promote closer ties, says U.S. Ambassador Mulford

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Nuclear deal will promote closer ties, says U.S. Ambassador Mulford

Special Correspondent

Health care, education, energy and many other sectors will benefit

David Mulford

NEW DELHI: The U.S. has said its quarterbacking of the civilian nuclear deal has enhanced trust and would enable both countries to build a closer relationship.

The “accomplishment” over the NSG waiver made the India-U.S. political relationship easier and cemented the relationship in a number of important ways, U.S. Ambassador to India David Mulford said here on Tuesday.

“I’ve always thought that in areas where there are sensitive aspects of the relationship, usually high tech issues, defence issues and other things, the civil nuclear relationship, once that is established, it is so central and so sensitive that it should have a knock-on effect that’s positive into other areas.

“I would expect our capacity to move forward in other complex areas is enhanced because there is a continual building up of trust and confidence in each other, a willingness to change things, and relax old restrictions on both sides. Because it is really about building trust and cooperation on both sides of the ledger. This [the nuclear deal] should enhance that process very significantly,” he told correspondents here.

Mr. Mulford expected ties to significantly expand in civilian areas as well. Terming ties with India as comprehensive since they touched every aspect of “life between the two countries,” he listed sectors such as health care, education, energy and various other areas besides civil nuclear, space, economic relations and foreign direct investment as some of the areas that will see enhanced activity.

“Things have been going on in every single one of those fields. The U.S. mission in India is now the largest the U.S. has in the world. So while this [cooperation in other fields] has been going on, the civil nuclear issue has tended to take the oxygen out of most other things because there’s been a sort of preoccupation with that.”

The U.S. Ambassador concurred with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s observation on Monday that he would like to wait for the 123 Agreement before making bilateral agreements with other countries. If the 123 doesn’t make it through the U.S. Congress, how would the U.S. look at the possibility of other countries such as Russia or France doing nuclear business with India?

Mr. Mulford said: “You’re asking me a speculative question. The situation is rather precisely as Mr. Mukherjee put it. So that’s your answer.”

Pointing out that the NSG exemption meant that India was no longer isolated and would be able to deal in civil nuclear commerce with the rest of the world, Mr. Mulford said it not only had positive environmental implications but allowed India to develop energy sources that will promote its long-term growth. “It is a history-making event. I think one needs to keep it in that broad context.”

Asked about the implications of the deal spilling over to a new Congress and Administration, he felt international approvals enhanced the prospects for the contents of this deal being preserved in its presentation to a new Congress. However, “you cannot guarantee that.”

The U.S. Ambassador was non-committal on a special session of the Congress if the deal was not approved during its ongoing sitting. “There is a history of lame duck sessions, but they are strictly within the control of the leadership of the Congress to decide. Up until now, the leadership has not decided and announced that there will be a lame duck session. Quite the reverse, there have been rumours that there will not be. That’s the present state of play.”

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