The mood in Delhi is this: Seal the deal when Bush is around, for who knows what the Democrats will demand?
Former Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, who was the star diplomat in the Bush Administration who negotiated the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, has rubbished Pakistan's request for a similar accord saying the A Q Khan network was the mother of all nuclear technology proliferators and said Pakistan's concerns over India's involvement in Afghanistan are over-rated.
The relationship between New Delhi and Tehran has caused some concern on Capitol Hill.
The two leaders are understood to have reviewed bilateral ties.
Ahead of his visit, Burns said, "My trip to New Delhi is to focus on agreement on a timetable that will lead to decisions in the US Congress to change our law and ultimate decision of the Indian Government to meet their commitments."
Israel and the United States had a plan. Iran punched back. And now the Gulf is reeling, the world is beginning to feel the pain and, as on date, no one in Washington or Tel Aviv appears willing to admit that the punch has landed, notes Prem Panicker, continuing his must-read blog on the war in the Middle East.
Iran accused the under secretary of state of breaching established diplomatic norms by issuing a statement against it in a third country.
Deputy spokesman Tom Casey said Burns has 'spoken about his willingness' to go to India but that a trip has not been formally scheduled.
We remain hopeful that we will be able to achieve this agreement, the US Under Secretary of State said.
President George W Bush said he is "pleased" with outgoing Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns for agreeing to continue to handle the "historic" Indo-US civil nuclear deal in which Washington has been making "progress" under him.
US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns will resign, a senior US official said on Friday.
Burns also hinted that he might travel to India this week and seal the deal.
Over the next three days, Burns will have discussions with Indian officials on advancing the new strategic partnership between the two countries.
The surprise retirement of Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, who played a seminal role in finalising the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, will take "some of the focus away" from the accord but his continuation as special envoy will help in its early conclusion, experts said.
Burns denied that he was against Tharoor as UNSG.
On his first visit to Washington after taking over as foreign secretary, Menon on Wednesday had a three-hour-long discussion with Burns, who is the key negotiator for the nuclear deal.
Nicholas Burns, the lead negotiator on the US-India nuclear deal in the Bush administration, has said that Washington must reassure New Delhi that it is a "valued strategic partner."
Among key Congressional leaders, the Foreign Secretary met included Jim McDermott, co-chair of the India caucus at the Congress; Howard L Berman, Chairman of House Committee on Foreign Affairs; and Senator Richard Lugar, Ranking Member of the powerful Senate Committee on International Relations
A former top American diplomat, considered to be the architect of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, on Friday urged US President Barack Obama to reach out to India's prime minister-designate Narendra Modi for an early meeting.
Part of the focus of the current discussions is also on the "next steps" that are involved in the civilian nuclear initiative such as status of India's negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency on India-specific safeguards and the NSG
Rejecting some critics' argument as to what message the US was sending to Iran by signing a nuclear energy deal with India, Burns said, "We don't see the connection between what Iran is doing and what India seeks to do."
Burns was responding to the opening remarks by Senator John F Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, who said it was imperative that the United States "...must consider Pakistan's relationship with India, especially when it comes to Kashmir."
"I know that there were some press reports about whether or not he was going to be going this week or next week. I am not aware that he has any travel plans, at this point, to go to India," McCormack said.
The US response to this proposal would be known after Burns discusses it with Indian officials when he is in Delhi this week.
Burns was speaking at a White House Diwali function.
Before going in for talks, Burns told media persons that the two countries had come a long way in the talks on the agreement since the negotiations began two years ago.
At the White House, Press Secretary Dana Perino was asked if US President George W Bush is in touch with anybody in India or has been briefed on the issue. "Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Burns has certainly been trying to push India to try to reconcile their differences so that we can move forward. We think it's a very important programme," Perino said.
During the Saran-Burns meeting, the Indian side is expected to assess what steps the US government is taking to ensure that the deal is cleared by the Congress.
Burns said that "We obviously wish to see no more terrorism emanating from Kashmiri separatist groups. We have told the Pakistani government that we would hope that it uses influence with these terrorist groups to stop attacks.
"We hope that India, as well as all other states -- China, Russia, France, Britain and Japan -- will diminish their economic relations with Iran," US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said.
Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, who will be in Washington from March 28 to March 31, will hold bilateral discussions with his US counterpart, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns.
IAEA meeting could vote against Iran: US
