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As India and the US started redrafting the text of NSG waiver, Washington has said it is working in a focussed manner to push the process with the aim of concluding the civil nuclear deal by early next month.

"Our principal focus right now has been on the India civil nuclear deal, having worked through the IAEA, now working through the NSG, and still trying to get into a position to make the appropriate Presidential determinations in early September," US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice told reporters on way to Tel Aviv.

She was responding when asked whether developments in Georgia will affect the US-Russia civilian nuclear deal.

Clearance from the 45-nation is a key step in the implementation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal after which it has to be subjected to a final vote in the US Congress, which will be meeting on September 8 for the last session during the Bush administration.

The comments by Rice came as Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon met US Under Secretary of State William Burns here to discuss issues related to redrafting of the text of the waiver which is to be presented before the NSG at its next meeting in Vienna on September 4-5.

Menon and Burns are understood to have discussed how to strike a balance in the draft so that it addresses the apprehensions of the sceptic NSG members without any "conditions" being attached to it.

The Foreign Secretary also met US Acting National Security Adviser James Jeffrey during which the same issue was discussed.