GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL STEPPED BACK SUNDAY FROM BERLIN'S EARLIER RESERVATIONS ABOUT INDIA'S CIVILIAN NUCLEAR ENERGY PACT WITH THE US TO EXPRESS CONFIDENCE IN NEW DELHI'S COMMITMENT TO MEETING ITS INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS, DPA REPORTED. SPEAKING AT A JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE IN HANOVER FOLLOWING TALKS WITH INDIAN PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH, MERKEL SAID THAT HER GOVERNMENT WOULD FOLLOW CLOSELY THE INTERNATIONAL EVALUATION OF THE PACT, INCLUDING THE DELIBERATIONS IN THE US CONGRESS, THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY AND THE NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP. NONETHELESS, THE GERMAN LEADER TOLD JOURNALISTS, "I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE ARE ON A POSITIVE PATH." HER IMPRESSION WAS BASED ON SINGH'S PROMISES ABOUT HIS COUNTRY'S COMMITMENT TO NUCLEAR ENERGY, SHE SAID. AT THE START OF HIS THREE-DAY VISIT TO GERMANY, THE INDIAN PREMIER TOLD SUNDAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE: "INDIA HAS AN IMPECCABLE RECORD WHEN IT COMES TO NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION. WE ARE A RESPONSIBLE NUCLEAR POWER."
