U.S. strongly supports NSG clean waiver for India: Roemer

The United States on Thursday said it “strongly and vehemently” supports the Nuclear Supplier Group’s (NSG) clean waiver for India and hoped that the civil nuclear deal between the two countries will continue to move in a positive direction.

“I want to say that the U.S. and the Obama Administration strongly and vehemently support the clean waiver for India. The 123 civil nuclear legislation also underscores our support for India in this debate that is going on and our law also points to the clean waiver for India,” U.S. Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer told reporters here.

On his last day in office here, the U.S. envoy was asked about the American support for India to get the clean waiver from the Nuclear Supplier’s Group.

The 46-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the elite nuclear club, last week decided to push for more stringent norms that govern technology transfer for reprocessing technology. This decision has raised concerns about its impact on the landmark civil nuclear deal India signed with the U.S.

“With India’s commitment and as they look to ratify the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) and they work closely with the U.S. companies, I am hopeful that the civil nuclear agreement will continue to move in a positive direction,” he added.

There have been indications that India was in touch with NSG and that the recent decision will not adversely impact the India—specific agreement with NSG.

Asked to comment on the issue of pat-down searches on Indian dignitaries at the U.S. airports, the Ambassador said America was working on these issues to prevent their recurrence in future.

“When Janet Napolitano (U.S. Homeland Security Secretary) was here, she said that we are working to improve how when you have a minister or a very important person (VIP) travelling to the United States... takes place without incidence. We are coordinating more and more on travel itineraries so that those experiences don’t take place in future,” Mr. Roemer said.

In the recent past, Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Meera Shankar and a few other diplomats were subjected to pat-down search at the U.S. airports over which India had registered its protest.

Mr. Roemer said looking at the bigger picture, one finds that India and the U.S. have come closer to each other in the last ten years and many “positive developments” have taken place in this time period between the two countries.

“We are working closely today in the fields of intelligence sharing and counter terrorism. We are working together on global issues and both India and US want a peaceful Afghanistan,” he said.

Mr. Roemer said the media should also concentrate on the positives of the relationship along with the “occasional hiccups and the challenges faced by the relationship”.