Bush tells Singh ‘working hard’ on nuclear deal
US: US President George W. Bush told visiting Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh Thursday that he was “working hard” to push their stalled
civilian nuclear pact through the US Congress.
In a brief public appearance at the White House, the two leaders
celebrated what Singh called the “enormous transformation” of India-US
ties for the better, citing an explosion of bilateral trade and the July
2005 atomic accord.
“The people of India deeply love you,” said the prime minister, who
was making likely his final visit to Washington before the vastly
unpopular US president’s term ends in January.
The meeting came as the Bush administration and the nuclear accord’s
supporters in the US Congress pressed for quick passage of the agreement
before lawmakers leave Washington to campaign ahead of the November 4
elections.
“We are working hard to get it passed as quickly as possible,” Bush
promised Singh. “It’s in the US interest to have a good strong strategic
relationship with India.”
A debate and vote in the House of Representatives was scheduled for
Friday, according to House Foreign Affairs Committee spokeswoman Lynne
Weil. It was not clear when the US Senate would take up the accord.
“I sincerely hope that this agreement, which is now before the US
Congress, will be approved in a manner which will be satisfactory from
the point of view of both our countries,” said the prime minister.
Bush, who hosted Singh at the White House in July 2005 and visited
India and nuclear rival Pakistan in March 2006, touted vastly improved
relations with India during his eight years as president.
“You and I have worked hard to change the relationship between our
countries. India’s a great country with an incredibly bright future,” he
said. “I appreciate your friendship and I appreciate your leadership.”
Singh thanked Bush for welcoming him to the White House, noting: “I
know how busy you are with problems relating to the management of the
financial crisis,” and highlighting the importance to India of the
nuclear deal.
“When history is written, I think it will be recorded that President
George W. Bush played a historic role in bringing our two democracies
closer to other,” said the prime minister.
The nuclear accord offers India access to Western technology and
cheap atomic energy as long as it allows UN nuclear inspections of some
of its nuclear facilities.
WASHINGTON, Friday, AFP |