US strongly supports NSG clean waiver for India : Roemer

New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) The United States on Thursday
said it "strongly and vehemently" supports the NSG clean
waiver for India and hoped that the civil nuclear deal between
the two countries will continue to move in a positive
direction.
"I want to say that the US and the Obama
Administration strongly and vehemently support the clean
waiver for India. The 123 civil nuclear legislation also
underscores our support for India in this debate that is going
on and our law also points to the clean waiver for India," US
Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer told reporters here.
On his last day in office here, the US envoy was
asked about the American support for India to get the clean
waiver from the Nuclear Supplier's Group.
The 46-member Nuclear Suppliers Group(NSG), the elite
nuclear club, last week decided to push for more stringent
norms that govern technology transfer for reprocessing
technology. This decision has raised concerns about its impact
on the landmark civil nuclear deal India signed with the US.
"With India's commitment and as they look to ratify
the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear
Damage (CSC) and they work closely with the US companies, I am
hopeful that the civil nuclear agreement will continue to move
in a positive direction," he added.
There have been indications that India was in touch
with NSG and that the recent decision will not adversely
impact the India-specific agreement with NSG.
Asked to comment on the issue of pat-down searches on
Indian dignitaries at the US airports, the Ambassador said
America was working on these issues to prevent their
recurrence in future.
"When Janet Napolitano (US Homeland Security
Secretary) was here, she said that we are working to improve
how when you have a minister or a very important person (VIP)
travelling to the United States... takes place without
incidence. We are coordinating more and more on travel
itineraries so that those experiences don't take place in
future," Roemer said.
In the recent past, Indian Ambassador to the US Meera
Shankar and a few other diplomats were subjected to pat-down
search at the US airports over which India had registered its
protest.
Roemer said looking at the bigger picture, one finds
that India and the US have come closer to each other in the
last ten years and many "positive developments" have taken
place in this time period between the two countries.
"We are working closely today in the fields of
intelligence sharing and counter terrorism. We are working
together on global issues and both India and US want a
peaceful Afghanistan," he said.
Roemer said the media should also concentrate on the
positives of the relationship along with the "occasional
hiccups and the challenges faced by the relationship".
Summing up his achievements in his two-year tenure in
the country, Roemer said the two countries have moved closer
in a number of areas.
"We have seen significant improvement in strategic
defence cooperation including the recently agreed sale of the
C-17," he said.
Roemer said the two countries have moved closer on
regional issues as peace in Afghanistan was in the "strategic
interest" of both the countries and they were also working
closely on the issue of Bangladesh and Africa.
He said there was more scope for the two countries to
work together in the future in several areas including
economics and trade which will be mutually beneficial.
"US is struggling with nine per cent unemployment rate
and India is dealing with some of the issues like rising food
prices and infrastructure... We believe that the US can help
out in these areas in economic cooperation and infrastructure
building. This will benefit both the countries," he said.
Roemer took up his India assignment in August 2009
and resigned from his post in April citing personal
commitments.