The U.S. Congress will examine carefully a new nuclear pact with India to see if the agreement is legal, a top legislator of House of Representatives said Friday.
"As Congress considers it, we need to determine whether the new agreement conforms to the Henry Hyde Act, and thereby supports US foreign policy and nonproliferation goals," Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee Tom Lantos said in a statement.
"I welcome the opportunity to review the civilian nuclear cooperation deal in detail," he said.
As congressmen are about to begin their a month-long summer recess, the schedule of debate about U.S.-Indian nuclear deal is yet to be settled.
"There is no agenda at the moment. Congress simply would have to take everything into account and ensure that the agreement is line with what Congress approved," Lantos's spokeswoman Lynne Weil told local mass media.
India released Friday the text of India-US civil nuclear agreement, under which India can develop strategic reserve of nuclear fuel to guard against any disruption of supply over the lifetime of its reactors.
The United States is committed to engage with the Nuclear Suppliers Group to help India obtain full access to the international fuel market. Washington will also join India in seeking to negotiate with the International Atomic Energy Agency an India-specific fuel supply agreement.
The agreement also says that the United States will have the right to seek return of nuclear fuel and technology but it will compensate India promptly for the "fair market value thereof" and the costs incurred as a consequence of such removal.
The civil nuclear deal will remain in force for a 40-year period and can be extended by an additional 10 years.
The agreement includes some other clauses concerning environmental protection and IAEA safeguards.
Some American legislators have expressed scepticism over the agreement which was believed to be worked out after the Bush administration made many concessions.
But Bush said he looked forward to working with the Democratic- controlled Congress to implement the deal.
Source: Xinhua
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