New Delhi: Amid strong political pressure on the India Government to review its civil nuclear deal with the United States, Washington on Friday put its foot down, saying that there cannot be any renegotiation on the civil nuclear deal with India.
"We cannot renegotiate it because the (123) Agreement is done. Neither government wishes it to be renegotiated because it is now complete," US Under Secretary Nicholas Burns said in an interview.
His assertion came in the midst of mounting attack on the Indian Government by its Left allies and the Opposition parties, which are demanding re-negotiation on the Agreement. The parties have also opposed operationalisation of the deal.
Asked how the differences between Hyde Act and 123 Agreement would be reconciled on the issue of reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, Burns said, "I am absolutely confident that the 123 Agreement conforms (to Hyde Act) in all ways."
India has said the Act contains certain "extraneous and prescriptive" elements, which are not acceptable to it. On Left criticism of the deal, Burns said he did not want to respond to it because that would amount to getting involved in Indian politics.
"I don't have any particular message for them except to say that in the 21st Century we have seen the global balance of forces shifting. That it is in the common interest of India and the US to be partners, certainly on the effort to bring peace and stability in South and East Asia," he said.
When referred to Iran issue, Burns said, "It is on the agenda of the US-India relationship... It is natural (that) one should seek that friends and partners diminish their political and economic relations with that country."
He, however, said: "No one is trying to challenge India's sovereignty as a country to make its own decisions."
(With agency inputs)
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