RELATED ARTICLES |
"We have had a very good discussion at the highest levels. I have been assured by the US leadership that the USA remains committed to the early implementation of the civil nuclear agreement.
"There are minor problems with regard to the reprocessing (of the spent) fuel under the 123 agreement. I think there are no insurmountable problems.
I am confident that in the next couple of weeks we can sort out issues," Singh told a press conference, a day before he wraps up his 5-day visit on Thursday.
To a question, Singh said he had not come across any criticism about India's role in Afghanistan. "We are there for reconstruction and peace," he said.
President Barack Obama's first state dinner in honour of Singh created a buzz in the US media with some calling it capital's "biggest social extravaganza" and others describing it as the "most treasured and formal honour offered to a foreign guest."
Late on Tuesday, India and the US signed an MoU on counter-terrorism and five other agreements as they agreed to chart their ties as "one of the defining relations" in the 21st century in which New Delhi will have a leadership role in the region and the world. Both the countries also agreed to expand educational exchanges that will fuel their "knowledgebased" economies and announced the launch of $10 million 'Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative' to increase cooperation between universities of the two countries.
Besides the memorandum of understanding on 'advancing global security and countering terrorism', the two countries signed pacts covering health cooperation, economic trade and agriculture, and green partnerships.
The pacts were signed after prime minister and US President Barack Obama held talks here at the White House. Singh is the first foreign leader to be hosted as the state guest under the 10-month-old Obama administration.
Under the MoU on 'Advancing Global Security and Counter Terrorism', the two sides committed to redouble their collective efforts to deal effectively with terrorism, while protecting their countries' common ideals and shared values.
The two leaders looked forward to the April 2010 nuclear security summit and agreed to consult each other regularly. They affirmed their commitment to work together to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missile-related technology and to realise their shared vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.
The two countries also decided to expand the binational Fulbright-Nehru Scholarship Programme through a 45 per cent increase in funding by each government to support increased exchanges of students and scholars in priority fields, bringing total support for these scholarships to $6.7 million this year.
The two sides also launched "Green Partnership" to strengthen US-India cooperation on clean energy, climate change, and food security, reflecting their commitment to taking vigorous action to fight cli- mate change.-
