'India's N-deal proceedings based on NSG waiver'

Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna also said that talks were on with the United States on finalisation of locations for two American nuclear power plants.

"NSG has given India clean waiver. We are proceeding on the basis of clean waiver granted by the NSG," he said when asked whether the resolution of G-9 nations earlier this month to curb transfer of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technology and items to non-Non-Proliferation Treaty signatories would affect India's nuclear cooperation.

He was talking to mediapersons while returning from Phuket in Thailand after attending the Association of South East Asian Nations Regional Forum meetings.

To a question, Krishna said talks are on between India and the US for selection of sites for two American nuclear plants in this country.

Significantly, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had said on Monday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told her about selection of two sites for the power plants.

On Clinton's remarks expressing hope over India firming up a law on Liabilities in nuclear field, Krishna said the suggestion of the Secretary of State will be certainly looked into.

India and the US are set to begin talks on setting up of a dedicated reprocessing facility under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards as envisaged in the 123 agreement on civil nuclear cooperation.

Under the pact, the negotiations on the issue had to begin within six months after signing of the agreement and completed within a year thereafter.