Speeches and Remarks 2006
Undersecretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns
Interview with Nidhi Razdan of NDTV 24x7
London, May 25, 2006
NDTV: Mr. Burns, Thanks very much for speaking to NDTV, I'd like to ask you right away, what did your talks with the Indian Foreign Secretary here in London achieve?
Burns: This was a very good opportunity for Ambassador David Mulford and I to be here with Foreign Secretary Saran in London, and to cover the landscape on the U.S.-India relationship. You know, we are very, very pleased that our two governments, and our two countries, are now strategic partners. We are working very well together, I think most of us believe that the United States and India have never enjoyed, since India's independence in 1947, such a good relationship. So, we talked about all the regional issues that are of importance to both of our countries -- Iran, certainly, we talked about the India and Pakistan relationship, about this terrible situation in Sri Lanka, about our hopes for peace and stability in Nepal, and we also had a very long discussion about our own bilateral relationship -- about our agricultural cooperation, our hope for a space launch cooperation agreement, and the fate of the civil nuclear accord. We are very optimistic, I think, on both sides of the relationship that we are taking the right steps to put that accord now to the U.S. Congress and to the Nuclear Suppliers Group for final agreement.
NDTV: Is there something specific that the United States wants India to agree to or to do in order to make this deal go through the U.S. Congress faster?
Burns: I think we've already had the negotiation. We negotiated for a year. That negotiation concluded with President Bush's visit to Delhi in early March. And so we are not imposing any new requirements on the Government of India, nor is India imposing those requirements on us. We are simply trying to work with each other so that we can be supportive. Now, let me take the case of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. This is the group of the leading countries in the world that have nuclear energy. And all of those countries, by consensus, must agree to change their practice and change their requirements to allow this -- all the countries of the world to have civil nuclear cooperation with India. That's quite a tall order. So a lot of our discussion today was
centered on what the United States and India can do together to promote that vision of cooperation with India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group. And of course, we talked about the situation in the United States Congress, as well.
NDTV: So, you're saying that there is no new condition that is being imposed by the U.S. in order to get this deal to go though. For example, the United States in a draft bilateral agreement had talked about a clause where it would end cooperation if India was to test a nuclear device. India said it didn't want that to be part of a bilateral agreement since it was already there under U.S. law. Now, if I could ask you, did that come up again today in the course of discussions? Perhaps that would have made it easier for you to convince those who are fence sitters in the Congress right now?
Burns: I can assure you that the United States is not trying to impose -- nor do we intend to impose -- any new issues on the Indian government. I have had hundreds of hours of discussions with Foreign Secretary Saran over the last 14 months. And we've finished our negotiations and now we are trying to implement them. It is true that the issue of nuclear testing has been part of our discussion now for well over a year. I think that both sides are aware of the views of the other and there should be no surprises to you in the news media that we are discussing these issues.
NDTV: Is it still being discussed, the issue of nuclear testing? Is that still…?
Burns: Yes, it is. It's being discussed. Because I think we are trying now just to find the right way to articulate the understanding that we have between the two governments. I am confident that we can find a way forward on that issue. I don't think it's an insuperable difficulty. In fact, I am rather optimistic about the agreement in general.
NDTV: But India already has a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing. Why is that not enough?
Burns: Well, the statement that the Indian government made that was reflected in the July18 Joint Statement of the U.S. and Indian governments is a quite important statement. You know that this issue of nuclear testing is important in my own country, and indeed, it is important in many countries around the world. And so, you know, the trick in diplomacy often, is -- when you agree on something -- is to find a way to articulate that agreement in such a way that it meets the interests of both governments, and it's true to the understanding that both governments have, and so, I'm really not worrying, I'm not losing sleep over this. I think that our two governments are going to find a way forward.
NDTV: Would you say that that is a difference of opinion that needs to be worked out?
To be ironed out?
Burns: Well, I wouldn't really call it a difference of opinion. I think we have, I think that all of us know what we said on July 18. India said that we're not, it would achieve a moratorium on nuclear testing. The United States felt that was a very important statement by the Government of India, and so, I think we'll find a way forward on this.
NDTV: But you want it as part of the bilateral agreement?
Burns: I'm not aware of any major differences of opinion on any issue.
NDTV: But would you like to see the issue of nuclear testing as part of any agreement?
Burns: I think to be fair to the Government of India and to my own government, normally what we do in diplomacy is we negotiate in private and when we have a final agreement, we announce it to the press. Despite my great interest in trying to tell NDTV everything I know, I probably should just refrain from giving you all the negotiating details, except to say this, Foreign Secretary Saran and I had a very good discussion. I was very pleased by it. I think we made progress on a number of issues. Let me just cite two in particular. We know that the Government of India is going to invite a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency for further talks in Delhi about the safeguards agreement that will be negotiated. That is a very important step forward. Secondly, Foreign Secretary Saran gave me a draft of the U.S.-India bilateral civil nuclear agreement, and I was very pleased to accept that draft. And I said that we would send an American delegation out to Delhi to have a final negotiation of this agreement, within the shortest possible time -- I hope within a week to 10 days. So, I was encouraged by both of those developments. And, the nature of our discussions was also quite positive, so I leave here in London, thinking that we've taken a step forward.
NDTV: You talked about the safeguards agreement with the IAEA; now there are some Congressmen, like Tom Lantos, who recently said that that agreement should be reached first before the deal is put to vote in the U.S. Congress. Do you believe it should be done like that or the original plan?
Burns: Well, we are still working out with the Congress the sequence of events that would lead to a vote in the Congress to approve the civil nuclear deal between India and the United States, and I hope that we can achieve a specific agreement with the Congress within a short period of time. But I think all of us know what has to happen. India and the United States have agreed that there has to be action by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, there has to be progress made between India and the IAEA, and there has to be progress made in the civil nuclear agreement between us before our Congress can finally take a judgment. That's been our thought all along, for the last few months.
NDTV: That's not the thought in New Delhi. In New Delhi the thought is actually the opposite. They'd like to see the deal voted on in the U.S. Congress before India can actually proceed with the IAEA.
Burns: It may be -- we had always foreseen in our interactions with the Congress that there would be Congressional action at the beginning of the process, and we hope that will take place in the next six weeks or so, but then there has to be Congressional action at the end of the process, because at the end of this very long train comes the civil nuclear agreement between India and the United States, and our Congress has a right to look at that and to make sure that it is consistent with all the other aspects of this deal. So, I would expect Congressional action at the beginning and the end, and therefore, what happens in the middle is very important. It is important that India and the IAEA, and the United States, and the NSG all take action together to move this agreement forward.
NDTV: So that it would be important for India to try and conclude that safeguards agreement with the IAEA before it is put to vote in the U.S. Congress, right?
Burns: It is certainly important to make progress. And what was positive about today's meeting is that Foreign Secretary Saran indicated that India is now taking the next step by inviting this delegation from Vienna.
NDTV: Let me ask you the final question, then. Realistically, is this deal you think going to go through by July? India is really worried that if it doesn't happen by the end of June or July, it could get postponed for a long time.
Burns: I think the Indian people and the Indian government can be assured that President Bush is absolutely 100 percent dedicated to achieving Congressional support for the civil nuclear deal. It is the centerpiece of our new relationship with India, and it in many ways is not only important because of what it does for our nuclear industries, yours and ours, but also symbolizes this new cooperation. So we are seeking Congressional action this summer in Washington.
NDTV: Do you think it will happen?
Burns: We hope very much for a Congressional vote in July, and then we hope for Congressional action at the end of the process as well. And we're working very hard with the Congress, which is another branch of our government -- you understand that -- to schedule this kind of vote and have a positive vote indeed.
NDTV: So you're hopeful but not sure, you can't put a timeframe?
Burns: Since I don't control this process -- in the American system of government the President proposes legislation, but the Congress decides. It is an entirely separate branch of our government, and so I can't speak for the Congress. But I can tell you that we sense strong support in Congress for the civil nuclear deal, from both political parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. There are some members of Congress that are opposed and so we have to answer their questions, we have to overcome some of the doubts. I think that can be done and we are confident that this deal is in the best interests of our own country and therefore confident that the Congress will grant its approval.
NDTV: Mr. Burns, thank you very much for speaking with NDTV.
Burns: It was a pleasure. Thank you very much.