Menon played a key role in Indo-US nuclear deal: State Dept

Washington, Mar 9: Acknowledging the significant role played by the Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon in the realization of the landmark Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement, the State Department today said he was the "key player" in brokering the deal.

"Foreign Secretary Menon was a key player in terms of helping bring about or brokering the -- the US-India nuclear- civil accord," State Department Acting Spokesman Robert Wood told reporters at his daily press briefing.

Menon is in Washington to discuss with top officials of Obama Administration on a wide range of bilateral and regional issues. He is also scheduled to meet the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

He was having meetings with the Under Secretary for Political Affairs William Burns, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, and Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke.

Later in the day after his meeting with Clinton, Menon was scheduled to proceed to White House for a meeting with the National Security Advisor Admrial James Jones. This is the first highest level interaction between the two countries after Obama was sworn in as the US President on January 20. PTI