India Saturday revealed that the safeguards agreement text has been finalized with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), though its initiation would depend totally on the political process involving formation of a consensus within the ruling Uunited Progressive Alliance regime and parliament. “Some text has been finalized and only needs to be inked now. But, we are awaiting the political process for that,” External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told CNN-IBN in a chat before his departure for Washington. The government is going ahead with its efforts to have a water-tight nuclear deal, Mukherjee said adding that he was personally involved in a dialogue with the Left parties for this purpose. In fact, the CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat has categorically stated that the government cannot ignore its concerns and ink the deal. Mukherjee also refuted rumors of differences between him and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh over the nuclear deal and said both of them had echoed the same sentiments in parliament. He also denied that there was any sourness between the Congress and the Left on the issue. “They have raised certain objections to the deal and it is up to us to convince them. If it happens, we will go ahead with the deal and if it doesn't, we will not go ahead. Don't forget that the prime minister himself has said that it won't be the end of the road for India even if the deal is not signed,” the minister said. __
