U.S., India to sign civil nuclear agreement this week

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee will formally sign a landmark civilian nuclear pact here later this week, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Wednesday.

"On Friday at 4 o'clock (2000 GMT) the secretary will sign with the Indian foreign minister, Foreign Minister Mukherjee, the India Civil Nuclear Agreement," McCormack told a news briefing.

"This follows on the president's signature today of implementing the legislation in the United States," the spokesman added.

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, and India's ambassador to Washington Ronen Sen are expected to attend the signing of the legislation.

Last week, U.S. Congress gave final approval to the legislation authorizing civilian nuclear trade with India, which built its atomic bombs outside the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.

The United States imposed a ban on civilian nuclear trade with India after the latter's first nuclear test in 1974.

In July 2005, the United States agreed to share civilian nuclear technology and supply nuclear fuel to India in return for New Delhi's separating its civilian and military nuclear programs.

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.