U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will begin a three-day visit to India on Friday to mark the approval of a landmark U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation agreement, the State Department said Thursday.
During the Oct. 3-5 visit, Rice will meet with Indian leaders, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
The visit comes after the U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to approve the deal with India. The House of Representatives has already approved the pact.
The deal, considered a key part of U.S. President George W. Bush's foreign policy legacy, was a step the Bush administration believes will secure a strategic partnership with India.
Critics, however, fear that the pact would deal a blow to global efforts to contain the spread of nuclear weapons as it will give the green light to India to import nuclear fuel and technology.
Washington and New Delhi reached an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation in March 2006, under which India will get access to U.S. civil nuclear technology on condition that India is to separate nuclear facilities for civilian and military use and open its nuclear facilities for inspection.
Following India's approval of the deal in July, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the agreement on Sept. 27. The 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group agreed early this month to lift a nuclear trade embargo on India.
On Aug. 1, the International Atomic Energy Agency agreed to sign a nuclear safeguards agreement with India, a move seen as giving the green light to India-U.S. nuclear cooperation.
Source:Xinhua
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