Text of 123 Agreement to be released to public soon

WASHINGTON: The US State Department has said it will soon release to the public the text of the so-called 123 Agreement for the civilian nuclear deal with New Delhi, but only after it has been looked at by the American Congress and the Indian Parliament.

"We are going to, we're not putting it out today. But we are going to be putting it out as soon as we possibly can. We're working with the Indian government on that, and we're also working to try to secure some other agreements, the IAEA, between India as well as the nuclear suppliers group agreement," the department's spokesman Sean McCormack said in
a briefing.

"At some point, and I can't circle a date for you, it will be transmitted up to the Congress and the Indian government will forward it to their parliament," McCormack said, adding that 'the whole thing will be released in public when it's transmitted to the Capitol Hill.'

"We're going through and doing all the briefings with the Hill. And we want to make sure that everybody who wants a briefing on it, including getting into some of the background of the negotiations which could be classified, has an opportunity to have those briefings."

"And then at some point in the future, we will release in public. I can assure you, I have been an advocate within the bureaucracy for releasing it sooner rather than later to the public," the Spokesman said.