The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, New Delhi

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in the Indian capital Saturday to commemorate - but not put her signature to - a historic deal that opens up U.S. nuclear trade with the Asia giant.

A signing ceremony that had been scheduled was dropped because, according to U.S. officials, a series of administrative steps have yet to be taken in Washington following Senate approval of authorizing legislation on Wednesday. Rice was meeting here with top government officials, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and political opposition leaders. Speaking to reporters aboard her plane en route from Washington, Rice said she expects the civil nuclear cooperation agreement will trigger an across-the-board expansion of American-Indian relations.Rice said only administrative - not substantive - matters were delaying the signing of the agreement.

President Bush has yet to sign the authorizing legislation, and once he does he is required to certify that the agreement with India is consistent with U.S. obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, designed to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. He must also certify that it is U.S. policy to cooperate with international efforts to further restrict transfers of technology related to uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.

The U.S. agreement on civil nuclear cooperation allows American businesses to begin selling nuclear fuel, technology and reactors to India in exchange for safeguards and U.N. inspections at India's civilian - but not military - nuclear plants.