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The historic Indo-US civilian nuclear deal is on the right track, though New Delhi is yet to complete a couple of formalities in regard to the deal, said a top US diplomat who is soon going to head the South and Central Asia Bureau of the State Department.
"It (nuke deal) is going very well, Senator. There is still a couple of steps that the Indians have to take to fully implement that agreement," Ambassador Robert Blake, the Obama nominee for the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia said in response to a question at his confirmation hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Till recently, Blake represented as the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and also served as Deputy Ambassador at the US Embassy in New Delhi.
Blake told the Senators who were keen to know the status of the bilateral nuke deal that in the initial phase, India has to bring the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards agreement into force. And then they also have to file with the IAEA a declaration of their nuclear facilities.
He also said, "That would be consistent with the separation plan that they outlined in 2006. So there are still several steps that need to be taken, and we'll be working closely with our friends in the Indian government to see that those are done rapidly".
The US diplomat said,"It's become a bit of a symbol, because it really changed the architecture of the global nonproliferation regime." Business Standard
May 15, 2009
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