Key aide of Obama allays India’s nuke deal fears
Inderfurth called deal a 'tipping point' & said Obama strongly supports it.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: Allaying India���s anxiety over the fate of the Indo-US nuclear deal under Mr Barack Obama, a key aide of the president-elect has said the new regime will take the agreement forward and build on it.
Former assistant secretary of state for South Asia Karl Inderfurth described the deal as a ���tipping point��� in the new relationship between the two countries and said Mr Obama was a strong supporter of the agreement.
The statement is sure to bring a sigh of relief to the Manmohan Singh government which nearly staked power to push through the deal while president George Bush is in office. There were apprehensions about Washington���s approach to the deal post-Bush and these fears were deepened by reports that the Democratic Party candidate was ���ambivalent��� about the deal. Mr Obama had submitted a wrecking amendment to the original bill in 2006.
���I think he is a strong supporter of the agreement. So, this agreement to me as I often said that Brajesh Mishra once described former president Clinton���s visit to India in March 2000 as a turning point in this new relationship,��� Mr Inderfurth said in an interview to a television channel on Sunday.
Mr Inderfurth said he would suggest that the Obama administration ���continue, continue and continue��� the relationship with India. He said a strong foundation for this had been laid by president George W Bush and former president Bill Clinton during his eight-year tenure.
���I would describe the agreement signed and pursued by president Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the tipping point. I consider this as fundamental for our new relationship and I have no doubt that the Democratic administration is going to taking this agreement and build on it otherwise as well,��� he said when asked whether Mr Obama will honour the fuel supplies assurances given by Bush.
Mr Inderfurth also said the US would ���encourage��� India to follow suit if Washington ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Lightening New Delhi���s worries on another front���Jammu & Kashmir���he said the new administration understood that the right approach on it was through an Indo-Pak dialogue.
Dismissive of Mr Obama���s interviews to the media where he spoke of trying to resolve the Kashmir issue, he said ���too much��� had been made out it. ���I think there is no question on the right approach to Kashmir. It is just to allow the two parties���India and Pakistan���to address it themselves Bilaterally taking into account the concerns and ambitions of the Kashmiri people. I have no doubt at all that would be the approach of the new administration,��� Mr Inderfurth said.
Reminding that Mr Obama still had a few more days before resuming office, he said, ���I also believe that if the United States can be supportive of that process that the US should be, because this is a major issue that affects not only the two countries, but also the region, I don���t believe that the President-elect has made any decision about how he intends to actually accomplish helping support that process.���
Former assistant secretary of state for South Asia Karl Inderfurth described the deal as a ���tipping point��� in the new relationship between the two countries and said Mr Obama was a strong supporter of the agreement.
The statement is sure to bring a sigh of relief to the Manmohan Singh government which nearly staked power to push through the deal while president George Bush is in office. There were apprehensions about Washington���s approach to the deal post-Bush and these fears were deepened by reports that the Democratic Party candidate was ���ambivalent��� about the deal. Mr Obama had submitted a wrecking amendment to the original bill in 2006.
���I think he is a strong supporter of the agreement. So, this agreement to me as I often said that Brajesh Mishra once described former president Clinton���s visit to India in March 2000 as a turning point in this new relationship,��� Mr Inderfurth said in an interview to a television channel on Sunday.
Mr Inderfurth said he would suggest that the Obama administration ���continue, continue and continue��� the relationship with India. He said a strong foundation for this had been laid by president George W Bush and former president Bill Clinton during his eight-year tenure.
���I would describe the agreement signed and pursued by president Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the tipping point. I consider this as fundamental for our new relationship and I have no doubt that the Democratic administration is going to taking this agreement and build on it otherwise as well,��� he said when asked whether Mr Obama will honour the fuel supplies assurances given by Bush.
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Mr Inderfurth also said the US would ���encourage��� India to follow suit if Washington ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Lightening New Delhi���s worries on another front���Jammu & Kashmir���he said the new administration understood that the right approach on it was through an Indo-Pak dialogue.
Dismissive of Mr Obama���s interviews to the media where he spoke of trying to resolve the Kashmir issue, he said ���too much��� had been made out it. ���I think there is no question on the right approach to Kashmir. It is just to allow the two parties���India and Pakistan���to address it themselves Bilaterally taking into account the concerns and ambitions of the Kashmiri people. I have no doubt at all that would be the approach of the new administration,��� Mr Inderfurth said.
Reminding that Mr Obama still had a few more days before resuming office, he said, ���I also believe that if the United States can be supportive of that process that the US should be, because this is a major issue that affects not only the two countries, but also the region, I don���t believe that the President-elect has made any decision about how he intends to actually accomplish helping support that process.���
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