Contact Group working to iron out implementation issues on Indo-US nuke deal

NEW DELHI: In a last-ditch effort to iron out implementation issues including administrative and liability in the seven-year-old Indo-US civil nuclear deal, the high- level Contact Group will meet tomorrow, four days ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit here.

Top Pentagon official Frank Kendall will also arrive here tomorrow to give final touches to defence-related content even as the two countries during the Summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Obama in Washington in September had decided to renew for 10 years the defence agreement to start joint development and production of military hardware.

Both countries are working hard to have "excellent" outcomes during the three-day visit of Obama, who will have a tight schedule including talks with Modi, attending Republic Day parade as the Chief Guest, meeting with business leaders, address on 'India and America: The Future We Can Build Together' and a quick visit to Agra to see iconic Taj Mahal.

The Contact Group, comprising representatives of nuclear industries from both sides -India's Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and Westinghouse and GE-Hitachi from the US, has already held two rounds of detailed discussions on a range of implementation issues, including administrative, liability, technical and licencing to facilitate the setting up of US-designed nuclear power plants in India.

The two sides are also reportedly working on a proposal for a insurance pool by the domestic Indian companies to offset the financial burden of American entities.

The first meeting of Contact Group had taken place here in December last.

Meanwhile, Kendall, who is the Pentagon's point person on India-related defence issues, in particular on the India-US Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI), will hold discussions with officials here to come up with some "concrete" deliverables.

India and the US have also held series of high-level meetings in key areas of investment, counter-IED and infrastructure here as well as in Washington in the past two weeks.

The interactions included India-US infrastructure collaboration platform, Indo-US Investment Initiative and a meet on US Global Entry Programme.

They also held four-day deliberations on counter improvised explosive devices (IED) during which ways to help India tackle the threat of IEDs with information and technology was being discussed.