The next date of the crucial meeting between the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and Left coalition partners on the US-India civil nuclear cooperation issue is likely to be decided today.
New Delhi, Mar 10 : The next date of the crucial meeting between the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and Left coalition partners on the US-India civil nuclear cooperation issue is likely to be decided today.
The meet would discuss what transpired between the Union Government and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) at Vienna in their last meeting.
CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said that the next date for the UPA-Left joint committee meet on nuclear deal was expected to be decided on Monday keeping in mind the convenience of all UPA partners as well as the Left Front.
He also said that the Left parties were not in a hurry and wanted to discuss the issue thoroughly.
"We are in no hurry to know what transpired between the Government and the IAEA at Vienna on the India-specific safeguards agreement. Let the Government tell us about it when we meet," he added.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had said talks had concluded with the IAEA and an agreement could be reached.
"Pranab Mukherjee, over a week ago, said that the UPA-Left committee on nuclear issue be convened in view of the fact that reports are there that the talks with IAEA on the safeguard agreement has been completed. Mukherjee is talking to all other parties who are there in the committee, so that convenient date can be fixed," Karat said.
On March 6, Karat wrote to Mukherjee seeking an immediate meeting of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee on the US-India civil nuclear cooperation issue by March 15.
Mukherjee has already said that the survival of the UPA Government is more important than the deal and that the Left parties have to be taken on board.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had also said in Parliament that the Government's attempt is to evolve the broadest possible consensus on the issue.
The Left, which has over 60 members in the Lok Sabha, has been giving outside support to the UPA Government since 2004.
ANI