India PM discusses nuclear deal with US president Bush

[Ron Burgundy]

AFP - India's premier Manmohan Singh discussed a landmark civilian nuclear deal with US President George Bush after the pact's approval by the US Congress was delayed by US midterm elections.

"The prime minister expressed appreciation for President Bush's commitment to the passage of the legislation," a statement from Singh's office said.

During the telephone conversation, Singh raised India's concerns over the fate of the accord after the Democrats gained control of both houses of the US Congress this month in the midterm polls.

The prime minister "hoped that the bill in its final form will accommodate India's stated concerns", the statement said.

The two leaders also "expressed satisfaction at the state of bilateral relations between Indian and the United States", the statement added.

The nuclear agreement had been clinched during Bush's visit to New Delhi in March.

On Wednesday, the US Senate began debating the agreement under which India, a non-signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), would be allowed access to long-denied civilian nuclear technology in return for placing its atomic reactors under global safeguards.

To facilitate the deal, the US Congress has to create an exception for India from some of the requirements of the US Atomic Energy Act, which currently bans nuclear sales to non-NPT signatories.

The US House of Representatives gave its thumbs-up to the deal in July but a Senate vote was delayed due to legislative elections last week that resulted in Democrat control of both chambers of the new Congress from January.

Analysts say it is unclear how the current Republican-controlled Senate will vote on the legislation this week, even though leaders of both Republican and Democrat parties have called for its approval.