Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger on Saturday said he was hopeful of a solution to the Indo-US civil nuclear deal in the near future.

Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry platform in Kolkata, Kissinger said, "I am optimistic that a solution will be found and the issue will be settled in the next few months."

Kissinger, who was on a visit to Kolkata, met Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and had a closed-door meeting with him which lasted for nearly 50 minutes.

His meeting with Bhattacharya was significant in view of the Left opposition to the deal and its demand for a discussion in Parliament.

He said that the 123 deal would benefit both the countries.

Kissinger said that he preferred to visit Kolkata since the state with its 60 million people had vitality and a Communist government that was dedicated to bring in investment.

Kissinger said the US had never thought India would come closer to his country, particularly after the cold relation the two countries had gone through during the 1970s.