Indo-US meeting on nuclear waiver strategy put off

NEW DELHI: The crucial meeting between India and America here to finetune strategy for the upcoming meeting of Nuclear Suppliers Group will not take place with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns putting off his visit, which was scheduled to begin from tomorrow.

Burns was to hold discussions with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon on coordination for the August 21-22 NSG meeting in Vienna to consider waiver for India.

The fresh date for the US official's visit is unconfirmed but he may come later this month or early next month.

Sources said the visit was put off as Burns, an expert on Eurasia affairs, is likely to travel to Georgia in view of the Russian military intervention there that has led to an uneasy situation in that country.

Ahead of the NSG meeting, India and the US are engaged in massive lobbying campaigns to convince all 45 members of the grouping and vouch for waiver for India to allow the country have civil nuclear trade with the international community. The NSG works on consensus and even if one member country opposes the move, the waiver cannot be granted.

Burns's visit was to give final touches to the coordinated moves by the two countries for the upcoming NSG meet. The US is playing the lead role in the campaign at the NSG as New Delhi is not a member of the grouping.

Menon and Burns have been in constant touch over phone to discuss what should be done to ensure that no country opposes India's case. The US is also undertaking a campaign to persuade all NSG members, particularly a "small number" of countries having reservations to the grant of waiver to India.

President George W Bush himself is involved in the campaign, writing letters to leaders of NSG member countries.

The NSG meeting on August 21-22 is unlikely to take a final view on the waiver and may meet for the second time early next month to take a decision.