Indian PM discusses nuclear deal with Bush

NEW DELHI (AFP) - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday discussed a controversial bilateral civilian nuclear energy deal, that has drawn flak in India, with US President George W. Bush, a government statement said.

The leaders spoke when Bush telephoned Singh "to convey the greetings of the Government and people of the United States on the 60th Anniversary of India's Independence" on Wednesday, the foreign ministry statement said.

"The two leaders also took the opportunity to review the status of Indo-US relations in several areas, including in the area of civil nuclear energy cooperation," it said.

Both leaders "expressed their satisfaction at the mutually beneficial and cordial nature of relations currently existing between the two countries," it added.

Bush also conveyed his administration's sympathies on the recent floods in India that have claimed some 1,800 lives so far in the country, according to the statement.

Bush's call came as Singh yesterday repeatedly tried to allay misgivings expressed by the opposition Hindu nationalists and Singh's Communist allies that the accord with the United States would hamper its national interests.

The India-US civilian nuclear deal, concluded last month, seeks to bring India into the loop of global atomic commerce after a gap of three decades.

The pact allows India to buy civilian nuclear technology while possessing nuclear weapons, despite not adhering to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Though the agreement has been supported by defence scientists who say national strategic interests have been safeguarded, India's Communists who lend valuable outside support to Singh's government, have rejected the deal seen as an infringement of national sovereignty.

Tensions between Singh and his Communist allies mounted yesterday after the latter rejected a statement by the premier in parliament defending the deal.

The accord has to be cleared by the US Congress before it becomes operational.