Affirming its commitment to work with India in securing a "clean" waiver from the NSG, the US on Monday said the two countries will "continue our vigorous joint advocacy", including at the highest levels, for it ahead of the grouping's next meeting on September 4.

US Ambassador to India David C Mulford said Washington is committed to working with New Delhi [Images] to rapidly complete the remaining steps necessary to conclude the Indo-US nuclear deal for which clearance from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a key step.

"The US and India stand shoulder-to-shoulder in their desire for a clean exception and we will continue to work with our Indian partners to persuade the NSG countries that such an exemption is in the international community's best interests," he said in a statement. "Ahead of the scheduled NSG plenary on September 4, the US and India will continue our vigorous joint advocacy for the initiative at the highest levels of NSG governments," Mulford said.

His statement came in the backdrop of questions by some sections as to whether the US did its bit adequately to secure the NSG waiver as promised by it in the Joint Statement of July 18, 2005.

The questions were raised after the two-day NSG meeting in Vienna [Images] last week failed to arrive at a consensus, with several member countries seeking changes in the draft introduced by the US. As India is not a member of the NSG, the onus of garnering consensus support of the grouping was on the US. It had sent its officials to various NSG member countries to persuade them to vote for the waiver.