Kolkata: US Ambassador to India David Mulford has said that the Indo-US civil nuclear deal is very much on course and his country is working on making some changes in the law to implement it.
"There is no need for suspicion regarding the agreement. It remains the same agreed in July 2005 in Washington and concluded formally when President Bush visited India in March 2006," Mulford said during a web chat with a team of reporters Saturday evening at the USIS in Kolkata.
"We are now engaged in negotiating certain detailed aspects of the bilateral agreement necessary to implement the deal and to seek the necessary change in law in the US Congress," he said, adding that the US was looking forward to increased cooperation with India in defence, aeronautics and space.
"No goalposts are being moved, no bars are being raised. It is just plain steady work to get the job done," the Ambassador clarified, asking all for patience.
"Many of the complex problems left over from the period of sanctions have been resolved. And looking at the type of relationship the two countries are now developing, we should be confident of more cooperation in these fields," he said.
"Cooperation is already growing and with it confidence is building on both sides which will stand us well into the future," he said, emphasisng the departing speech of President Bush in March, when he had called India "a global leader, as well as a good friend".
Mulford said India is an attractive investment destination because it has a strong economy, a large, articulate and well-educated population and democracy.
"It (India) believes in rule of law and it has a sophisticated and well-supervised financial system. It is also a market with a relatively youthful population. These are a few of the attractions and in some cases advantages India has over China."
To a question on Shashi Tharoor as a candidate for the post of UN General Secretary, Mulford said, "This is a decision which India has made and we respect it fully".
The US ambassador also made his country's stand clear on Pakistan, when he said that they supported We support democracy in Pakistan and have made clear their interest in seeing Pakistan move towards democratisation.
"Pakistan has been an important country for the US in its efforts in Afghanistan and against global terrorism. We will continue to work closely," he said.
To a question on whether the US would support India for permanent membership in the United Nations, he skirted a direct reply but said the first priority of the US is to reform the body (UN) to make it a more effective and incisive organisation.
"Unless this is done there is little point in focusing on expanding the Security Council. Once the reform is achieved, hopefully with the support of large number of countries around the world, including India, it will be appropriate to look the question of expanding the Security Council," he said.
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