India and the US have finalised negotiations on arrangements and procedures for reprocessing of American-origin spent fuel. This is a key step for implementation of the historic civil nuclear deal signed in September 2008. The negotiations were held as per a clause in the 123 Agreement that mandated India to set up a dedicated reprocessing facility under IAEA safeguards where the spent nuclear fuel from the US could be reprocessed. The State Department said in a statement that the United States and India have taken an important step and the completion of these arrangements would facilitate participation of US firms in India's rapidly-expanding civil nuclear sector. US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer said while making the announcement in a statement that<br/>US and India are close to completing an historic partnership on civil nuclear cooperation.<br/> Negotiations on reprocessing were to be started six months after the signing of 123 Agreement and concluded within a year thereafter. Accordingly, the negotiations were started in August last year and completed well in advance.