US seeks fairer Indian nuclear law

By Arun Kumar Washington, Nov 23 (IANS) Making it clear that India's nuclear liability law remains a sticking point, the United States says it's talking to New Delhi to make sure that Indian legislation does not disadvantage American firms.

"We want to ensure that our companies can compete freely and fairly in this industry as we hope and expect that they'll be able to compete in other industries both in India and around the world," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters Tuesday.
 
 "So we want to make sure that legislation on the books in India does not disadvantage American firms," she said when asked what specific steps the US wanted India to take to ensure that American companies get a level playing field in Indian civilian nuclear industry.
 
 Describing it as "a very sensitive issue that has been under discussion between our governments for a number of months," Nuland said the US statement made it clear "that this is an issue we have not yet resolved with the Government of India."
 
 "We're continuing to work on it because we think it's very important for both countries to finalise all of the terms that offer so much promise for both of our people," she said.
 
 Asked if it was a sticking point in India-US relations, Nuland said: "This is an issue that we've been discussing. It's an issue that both governments know we have an interest in resolving. Sometimes these things take time, so we're going to continue to work on it."