Moving towards commercial Nuclear Cooperation: Modi (Second Lead)

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said India and the US are moving towards commercial cooperation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

"Civil nuclear deal was the centerpiece of our transformed relationships which demonstrated new trust. It also created new economic opportunities and expanded our options for clean energy," Modi said, addressing a joint press conference with US President Barack Obama here.

"In the course of past four months, we have worked with a sense of purpose to move it forward."

"I am pleased that six years after we signed our bilateral agreement, we are moving toward commercial cooperation, consistent with our law, our international legal obligation, and technical and commercial viability," Modi said.

A contact group, comprising nuclear officials from both sides, has held three rounds of talks in the past 45 days pointing to the urgency the both sides hold to resolve niggling issues.

Besides US misgivings over India’s stringent civil nuclear liability law that puts the onus for any accident on suppliers, the other issue that India has objection to is the US insistence on control in perpetuity over the nuclear fuel and equipment.