Mathai to visit US next week: N-deal, Iran on agenda

New Delhi - Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai goes on a three-day visit to Washington next week to hold talks with senior US officials to explore ways to fast-track the nuclear deal and to discuss a cluster of regional issues, including Iran and the Afghan reconciliation process.

Mathai will hold wide-ranging talks during his visit Feb 6-8 with US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, Syed Akbaruddin, the external affairs ministry spokesperson, told reporters here.

The entire gamut of the India-US relationship will be discussed, said the spokesperson.

The talks will set the stage for the visit of External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna to Washington, likely July, for the third India-US strategic dialogue.

The implementation of the nuclear deal, which India and the US sealed in 2008, is expected to figure prominently in the discussions, said government sources.

Even three years after signing the landmark agreement, some legal issues remain on the way, specially relating to India's liability regime which US nuclear companies find a hurdle in the way of doing atomic business with India.

Another issue that is expected to figure in talks will be fresh sanctions imposed by the US and the EU on Iranian oil trade. Last month, Mathai had said India will not seek a waiver from the US sanctions and will find ways to buy Iranian oil without attracting the sanctions.

Mathai has also made it clear that India will follow the UN sanctions, but is not bound by unilateral sanctions imposed by other countries. India has also stressed that it will continue to buy Iranian oil as it contributes around 12 per cent of its oil imports and is critical to its energy security.

The situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, an issue of common concern, will be discussed, said the sources. US's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman visited India recently and lauded New Delhi's role in the reconstruction of the violence-torn country.