U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman
(Hanoi, Vietnam)
November 17, 2006

We welcome the strong support for the historic U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation initiative shown by today's 85-12 vote in the Senate.

We thank the Senate and appreciate its willingness to consider the legislation promptly, the strong support of the Senate leadership, as well as the time and attention of many members of the Senate who crafted this legislation -- in particular Chairman Lugar, Ranking Member Biden, and their staffs. We look forward to the Senate-House Conference in December, when remaining issues of concern to the U.S. government can be addressed.

Successful implementation of the civil nuclear initiative is a key element of a new strategic partnership between the United States and India. This initiative will help India meet its growing energy needs, enhance cooperation on energy security and nonproliferation, and increase economic investment opportunities. 

We look forward to working with India to fully implement this agreement, to fulfilling the commitments made by President Bush and Prime Minister Singh in July of 2005 and March of 2006. This is a great step forward in realizing their shared vision that the world's oldest and largest democracies accomplish great things in the new century.