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US wants kinks in liability law ironed out
Although the first steps to implement the civil nuclear deal have begun with US-based Westinghouse signing an early works agreement, the United States says that it still has concerns with India’s nuclear liability law and wants New Delhi to address them.
“No, this does not mean that issues with respect to the liability law have been resolved,” US Assistant Secretary of Robert Blake told reporters, even while stressing that Westinghouse’s MoU with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) marks “a very significant step” towards fulfilment of the landmark deal.
Indian officials felt that signing of the MoU indicates a shift towards implementation of the deal by moving it from the political to the commercial domain. “Both of our countries wanted to show that we still share strong interest in seeing the commercial contracts come to fruition,” Blake said while briefing on the just-concluded US-India Strategic Dialogue.
The signing of this MoU and the future conclusion of similar early works agreements will provide concrete evidence of the US intention to move forward in a sector with business opportunities worth $40 billion, Blake said.
After the Westinghouse MoU, efforts are under way to finalise a similar agreement between the General Electric-Hitachi combine and NPCIL.
Asked if the Iran oil sanctions issue was over for good from India’s standpoint following this week’s US waiver, Blake indicated that the subject could up for a review in six months as required by the American law on this matter, remarking: “We’re certainly not done with it.”
The US threat to impose financial sanctions on countries importing Iranian oil has helped pressure Tehran by sharply reducing its ability to export, Blake suggested, adding that there needs to be continued progress to keep up this pressure and bring Iran to the negotiating table on the nuclear issue.
Asked about the exclusion of Pakistan from a new framework of US-India-Afghanistan consultations, Blake said it was certainly not something directed against Islamabad. Details of this trilateral consultations and the level at which they would be taking place will all be announced in the coming weeks.
The purpose of this new initiative, according to Blake, is to talk about the situation inside Afghanistan and how to continue to support Afghanistan, which will be witnessing three different transitions — security, economic and political, given that the country will be holding elections in 2014.
Although the first steps to implement the civil nuclear deal have begun with US-based Westinghouse signing an early works agreement, the United States says that it still has concerns with India’s nuclear liability law and wants New Delhi to address them.
“No, this does not mean that issues with respect to the liability law have been resolved,” US Assistant Secretary of Robert Blake told reporters, even while stressing that Westinghouse’s MoU with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) marks “a very significant step” towards fulfilment of the landmark deal.
Indian officials felt that signing of the MoU indicates a shift towards implementation of the deal by moving it from the political to the commercial domain. “Both of our countries wanted to show that we still share strong interest in seeing the commercial contracts come to fruition,” Blake said while briefing on the just-concluded US-India Strategic Dialogue.
The signing of this MoU and the future conclusion of similar early works agreements will provide concrete evidence of the US intention to move forward in a sector with business opportunities worth $40 billion, Blake said.
After the Westinghouse MoU, efforts are under way to finalise a similar agreement between the General Electric-Hitachi combine and NPCIL.
Asked if the Iran oil sanctions issue was over for good from India’s standpoint following this week’s US waiver, Blake indicated that the subject could up for a review in six months as required by the American law on this matter, remarking: “We’re certainly not done with it.”
The US threat to impose financial sanctions on countries importing Iranian oil has helped pressure Tehran by sharply reducing its ability to export, Blake suggested, adding that there needs to be continued progress to keep up this pressure and bring Iran to the negotiating table on the nuclear issue.
Asked about the exclusion of Pakistan from a new framework of US-India-Afghanistan consultations, Blake said it was certainly not something directed against Islamabad. Details of this trilateral consultations and the level at which they would be taking place will all be announced in the coming weeks.
The purpose of this new initiative, according to Blake, is to talk about the situation inside Afghanistan and how to continue to support Afghanistan, which will be witnessing three different transitions — security, economic and political, given that the country will be holding elections in 2014.
