U.S. Okay With N-Deal Understanding But Firms Will Decide

WASHINGTON: From the U.S. perspective, the "breakthrough understandings" on the India-U.S. civil nuclear deal can advance it towards commercial opportunities, but the industry will have to make its own decisions, according to a senior U.S. official.

"I think that we had a major breakthrough in advancing the civil nuclear cooperation" deal during President Barack Obama`s India visit, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Nisha Desai Biswal told foreign reporters.

The two sides were exchanging information on understandings reached between the US and the Indian governments on issues of nuclear liability, she said noting the Indian side has offered additional information and clarifications on their interpretations.

"We believe, at the end of the day, that industry will have to draw their own conclusions and make their own decisions with respect to the commercial opportunities that exist and the parameters under which they`re ready to start down that path," Biswal said.

"But we believe that India has clarified its compliance within the Vienna Convention on Supplementary Compensation, and that that has provided an understanding on which we believe this can move forward," she said.

"They`ve also put forward additional information with respect to insurance pools that can also, I think, provide additional risk mitigation."

"And so I think that from our perspective, these understandings are important in being able to advance civil nuclear cooperation and move towards commercial opportunities," Biswal said.

"So in that sense, we do believe that this was a significant breakthrough."

The contact group launched during Prime Minister Naraendra Modi`s September visit to the U.S. met half a dozen times over the run-up to Obama`s visit, but it will continue to meet to engage and to address any outstanding issues, she said.

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