Ahead of crucial negotiations on the bilateral agreement to operationalise the nuclear deal, the government on Wednesday made it clear in the Lok Sabha that it would be firmed up only within the framework and parameters of agreement reached between the two countries on July 18, 2005, and the separation plan of March 2, 2006.
The bilateral 123 agreement will also have to adhere to commitments made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the floor of the House, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said during Question Hour.
The minister replied in the negative when asked whether the deal was in "jeopardy" as reported in a section of the media. "It is not true," he said.
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns is expected in Delhi next week for talks with Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon to iron out remaining issues to work out the agreement.
Mukherjee denied allegations of deviation from the two accords and said, "The two sides are continuing discussions with a view to finalising the bilateral co-operation agreement in civil nuclear energy."
Several rounds of discussions have taken place and statements and joint statements of Dr Singh and US President George Bush have been laid on the table of the House, he said.
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