U.S. President George W. Bush, center, meets with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice looks on at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, Thursday, March 2, 2006.
Bush has been doing a press conference in India for the last 10 minutes...Indian media are asking if he'll do anything to bring India into the UN security council and about our cooperation with Pakistan since they view them as the center of terror in the world.....
This report is true; President Bush just confirmed this deal in his live press conference right now on the cables.
Hope this is true! :)
good new ping!
After 8 years of watching Bill waste his tenure coasting on the dotcom wave while preening in front of a mirror, Bush (for all his faults) has been a welcome dose of Presidential activism.
This is a huge deal in terms of strategic alliances as far as dealing with China over Taiwan is concerned. We are proud to have India as a friend and we will do great things together.
This is amazing, historical, GREAT NEWS! Good for India, good for US, trouble for mollas of Iran.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/print?id=1677864
U.S., India Reach Agreement on Nuke Deal
U.S., India Reach Agreement on Landmark Civil Nuclear Deal During Bush Visit
By DEB RIECHMANN
The Associated Press
NEW DELHI, India - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Bush announced Thursday their nations have reached agreement on a landmark nuclear deal, a coup for Bush's first visit to India.
"We have reached an understanding on the implementation of our agreement on civil nuclear cooperation," Singh said during a joint appearance by the two leaders. "I have conveyed to the president that India has finalized the identification of civilian facilities to which we had committed."
Under the accord, the United States would share American nuclear know-how and fuel with India to help power its fast-growing economy, even though India won't sign the international nonproliferation treaty. It would represent a major shift in policy for the United States, which imposed temporary sanctions on India in 1998 after it conducted nuclear tests.
"We concluded an historic agreement today on nuclear power," Bush said. "It's not an easy job for the prime minister to achieve this agreement. I understand. It's not easy for the American president to achieve this agreement."
Bush, mindful of opposition among some in the U.S. Congress to such a deal, called it "a necessary agreement."
"It's one that will help both our peoples," he said. "Again, I applaud you for your courage and your leadership."
What I'd like to know is this: when are we going to get (modern) nuclear power?
Outstanding!
May our alliance flourish for the forseeable future.
bttt
Excellent news. India is an ally in the War on Terror that, like Israel, we can trust.
India, US reach agreement on N-deal
By: PTI
March 2, 2006
New Delhi: India and the US have reached an understanding on the implementation of the civil nuclear cooperation agreed last year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced today.
Addressing a joint press conference with US President George W Bush after their talks, Singh said the finalisation of identification of civilian facilities would begin. Discussions would be held with the IAEA on the guidelines for brining the civilian nuclear reactors under its safeguards, he said. The Prime Minister said the President has given an assurance that he would approach the US Congress for endorsing the deal.
Singh said the two countries have "arrived at a mutually satisfactory understanding with regard to carrying forward the process" that was reached on July 18 between him and President Bush. He said an important step forward is the preparation of a plan that separates civilian from nuclear military facilities and "it has been successfully completed."
"Now it is for the US government to go to the Congress and make necessary amendments to the laws (for implementing the deal) and to approach the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for working the deal," he said. India would also work with IAEA to workout the India-specific safeguards for its civilian nuclear facilities, he said.
"We have made a very satisfactory progress and I thank President Bush without whose initiative it would not have been possible," the Prime Minister said.
Endorsing the Prime Minister's remark on the nuclear deal, Bush said that "necessary" had been reached and he would work with the US Congress in this regard. Describing his discussion with Bush as "very cordial and productive", Singh said they reached a joint statement, which underlines significant progress in the relationship between the two countries.
"Many of the areas now covers are central to India's national development. They include energy, agriculture, science and technology, trade, investment and high technology, health and environment", the Prime Minister said. Singh also said a number of announcements and initiatives form part of the joint statement.
http://web.mid-day.com/news/nation/2006/march/132108.htm
YaY!!!!
Like my Calcuttan friends would say...."Mishti!"
A great way to start the day here on the East coast.
While I think this is indeed good news, I would add a note of caution: our relations with India since its independence have not been good, not least because India wants to punch way above its weight and expects to be treated accordingly. It is a country that combines contrasts of affluence/modernity with abject poverty and a viscous caste system unknown elsewhere; it is a democracy of sorts, but has consistently opposed the United States. Working with India is necessary, even good. Trusting India would be a serious mistake. Interestingly, one of my children just finished a study abroad program where the kids spent a month in India and a month in China (among other places). India did not come off well in the comparison.