The US on Wednesday sought to allay any apprehensions over the future of the Indo-US nuclear deal, saying the landmark pact was "not off-track" and both the countries are committed to implement it. Assistant US Secretary of State Robert Blake said that both the sides hoped to sign the end-use monitoring agreement in defence field under which the US would be able to supply sensitive technology to India.
He added that there was no question of appointing an envoy for Kashmir and that the US "does not plan to play any role between India and Pakistan on this issue." Blake, who will accompany Secretary State Hillary Clinton to India on July 17, commented that US also appreciates the recent meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari. "The Indo-US nuclear agreement is not off track and both India and the US are committed to implement the agreement," Blake told reporters when asked to comment on G-8 decision to impose curbs on full nuclear cooperation on certain countries. At last week's G-8 summit in Italy, the US had persuaded world's richest nations to ban the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing items to countries that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty including India.
On Clinton's upcoming visit to India, Blake said that "the trip is to deepen the strategic and bilateral relations between the two countries." The Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia added that the focus of the visit will be on building a new strategic tie-up with India. Among the other issues that would come up for discussion would include Pakistan, climate change, bilateral trade and terrorism, he said.
