On the eve of his visit to Washington, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has indicated that the safeguards agreement text has been finalised with the International Atomic Energy Agency, but can only be initialed after the political process has been completed.
"Some text has been reached, which only needs to be inked, and that waits for the political process," Mukherjee said during an interview to CNN-IBN. He added that the government was pressing ahead with its efforts on the nuclear deal.
"We would like the deal to materialise. I am in the process of the dialogue (with the Left) and I don't know what will be the outcome," he said.
Mukherjee denied that there were differences between him and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.about the nuclear deal. "We echoed the same voice (in parliament). He said we are trying. I said we are trying. That's all," he said.
Mukherjee's visit to Washington, his first bilateral visit, comes nine months after Indian and US officials agreed on the 123 operationalisation agreement. Since then, he has been at the helm of the UPA-Left coordination panel that met again earlier this week.
When asked if he was disappointed that the process had taken so long without an agreement, Mukherjee said. "They are our supporters- and have stated their opposition- we are trying to convince them. If we can do it we'll do it if we can't do it, we can't. The Prime Minister said if the deal doesn't happen it is not the end of life. Don't forget that. "
Mukherjee also fielded questions about US House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit, where she spoke of 'Chinese oppression in Tibet'. The minister said that Pelosi was well within her right to express her views.
On the Sarabjit Singh issue, Mukherjee said that India would not agree to exchange any prisoners for the Indian national on Pakistani death row. "But we are grateful that the Pakistan government has agreed to our request and put off the date of hanging to April 30."
He said India had pleaded on humanitarian grounds for Sarabjit's release, as it had done in the past with other prisoners.
Mukherjee also said that the government had had no contact with President Musharraf since the February 18 elections, adding, "I do hope that the initiatives that have been taken so far and the way the composite dialogue has been going will be continued by the new government in Pakistan."
