Rice calls for final approval of U.S.-India civilian nuclear agreement

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday reiterated the importance of final approval by Congress of a civilian nuclear agreement that will put an end to the three-decade ban on American nuclear trade with India.

"I certainly hope that it can get done, because it would be a landmark agreement for India and the United States," Rice told reporters a day before the Senate is due to pass the deal on Wednesday.

"And it would be a way to solidify what has been an extraordinary period in which U.S.-Indian relations have reached the kind of deepening that is really appropriate for two of the world's largest and great democracies," Rice added.

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.

The nuclear deal, considered a key part of Bush's foreign policy legacy, is designed to solidify Washington's relationship with a fast-emerging economic power.

Following India's approval of the deal in July, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the agreement on Saturday. Prior to the approvals, the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) agreed early this month to lift a nuclear trade embargo on India.

On Aug. 1, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed to sign a nuclear safeguards agreement with India, a move seen as giving the green light to India-U.S. nuclear cooperation.