DHAKA: India prime minister Narendra and United States president Barack Obama announced they had reached an agreement Sunday to break the deadlock that has been stalling a civilian nuclear power agreement.

‘I am pleased that six years after we signed our bilateral agreement, we are moving towards commercial cooperation, consistent with our laws (and) international legal obligations,’ Modi said at a joint press conference with Obama in the Indian capital New Delhi, reports The Straits Times.

The two countries in 2008 signed a landmark deal giving India access to civilian nuclear technology, but it has been held up by US concerns over India’s strict laws on liability in the event of a nuclear accident.

While there were no immediate details on how the impasse had been broken, India has reportedly offered to set up an insurance pool to indemnify companies that build reactors in the country against liability in case of a nuclear accident.

BDST: 1827 HRS, JAN 25, 2015

** PM Modi receives Obama with a hug