Pete Domenici: “After committing to a framework 16 months ago, President Bush and India's Prime Minister announced an agreement earlier…”

“After committing to a framework 16 months ago, President Bush and India's Prime Minister announced an agreement earlier this year on civil nuclear cooperation between our two countries. I believe they recognize this historic moment in our history, one that requires vision and foresight to anticipate the world as it will be rather than stuck in the past wishing things somehow would be different. Some will argue that we must pursue a better deal approaching perfection, but the deal that has been negotiated is a good one that we must pursue now and begin taking steps to strengthen the nonproliferation regime with India by our side. Senators Lugar and Biden and the Foreign Relations Committee have done an admirable job of striking a balance that anticipates this future. This strong, bipartisan bill represents a critical step toward strengthening an eroding nonproliferation framework. We only need look at North Korea and Iran for evidence that this erosion is taking place and as a wake-up call that fundamental change is needed. The global community must work together to assure the peaceful pursuit of civilian nuclear waste. This historic agreement is a critical step that moves the United States and India toward a strategic relationship between our great democracies.”