U.S. President George W. Bush has discussed by telephone with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on joint efforts to finalize controversial civil nuclear deal, the White House said Thursday.
"Both leaders expressed their desire to see the U.S.-India civil nuclear issue move forward as expeditiously as possible," U. S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a statement.
Bush also said that he expected to strengthen strategic relationship between the United States and India, Johndroe said.
The telephone talks occurred two days after India's United Progressive Alliance government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh won the trust vote in parliament.
The United States and India reached an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation in March 2006, under which India will get access to U.S. civil nuclear technology on condition that India is to separate nuclear facilities for civilian and military use and open its nuclear facilities for inspection.
The nuclear deal, considered a key part of U.S. President George W. Bush's foreign policy legacy, is designed to solidify Washington's relationship with a fast-emerging economic power.
However, the nuclear deal has met with strong opposition in both India and the United States.
If U.S. Congress gives the deal final approval, India will be able to engage in civil nuclear trade with the United States, even though it has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
While India's government called its civil nuclear cooperation deal with Washington a "landmark agreement," opposers in India's parliament believed that the nuclear agreement will compromise New Delhi's military program and ally it more closely with the United States.