'Congress may take a year to implement Indo-US N-deal'

A top United States envoy said Friday he was confident the US Congress would approve a major civilian nuclear deal but said it could take a year to implement.

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher said he believed Congress would clear the agreement "because it is part and parcel of a new relationship with India. People want to support it."

"We are moving full speed ahead," said Boucher.

He was in New Delhi for talks with Indian foreign ministry officials as part of his first swing through the region since being named to the post in January.

US opponents say the deal abandons long-standing non-proliferation rules, complicates efforts to curb the spread of atomic weapons, such as in Iran and North Korea, and could spur India to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal.

The deal was struck last month during a visit to New Delhi but Boucher hesitated to predict when Congress would pass the agreement, saying the legislators set their own timetable.