(AFP) – Jul 23, 2008

NEW DELHI (AFP) — Washington is "actively on its way" to meeting key deadlines that will finalise a controversial nuclear deal with New Delhi, the US ambassador to India said Wednesday.

David C. Mulford's comment came a day after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh survived a confidence vote that gave him the green light to move forward with the pact, designed to bring India into the global loop of nuclear commerce.

"We're delighted this has taken place and we're organising ourselves to stand ready to move ahead with the final steps of completing the civil nuclear initiative," Mulford told reporters in New Delhi, via a video link from the US state of Ohio.

"The US has been ready and is now geared up," Mulford said. "We are very actively on our way."

Mulford said the legislation for the deal needed to be back with Washington for ratification before the US Congress adjourned.

"We hope we can be in a position to send the legislation to Congress in early September," he said.

Before that can happen, though, India must sign a safeguards agreement with the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect civilian nuclear reactors. The IAEA board will next meet at the end of this month.

India must also obtain a waiver from the 45-state Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which regulates nuclear fuel and technology and whose rules ban trade for countries that have not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Mulford said both countries were doing all they could to ensure the deadlines were met.

"The time frame we're working to is clear," he said, adding he expected the a positive outcome from the NSG meeting.

"If all of those things can be accomplished then we have some chance that Congress may be able to act on this legislation prior to its final adjournment."

The agreement, unveiled in 2005, will allow the United States to sell nuclear plants and related technology to India.

India's infrastructure is creaking under the strain of a booming and increasingly urbanised population. Black-outs are frequent in major cities, and businesses have to pay large sums of money for generators and other power back-ups.

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