US to end restrictions on Indian N entities to boost energy ties

NEW DELHI, Jan 06 (Reuters): The US government is in the process of removing restrictions on Indian nuclear entities, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday, in a bid to forge deeper energy ties with New Delhi and bolster a 20-year old landmark nuclear deal.

Washington and New Delhi have been discussing supply of US nuclear reactors to energy-hungry India since the mid-2000s and a deal signed by then President George W Bush in 2007 allowed the United States to sell civilian nuclear technology to India.

But a longstanding obstacle has been the need to bring Indian liability rules in line with global norms which require the costs of any accident to be channelled to the operator rather than the maker of a nuclear power plant.

"United States is now finalising the necessary steps to remove long-standing regulations that have prevented civil nuclear cooperation between India's leading nuclear entities and US companies," Sullivan said at an event in New Delhi on the second day of a two-day visit.