US and Indian diplomats laud nuclear deal

(PARIS) The top American and Indian diplomats on Saturday lauded a new agreement that opens up U.S. nuclear trade with India, but they stopped short of signing the deal, which some private U.S. arms control experts say is likely to speed up nuclear arms competition in Asia.

Some U.S. officials had said as recently as Friday that they expected Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Indian counterpart, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, to sign the agreement Saturday. The Senate on Wednesday approved legislation authorizing President Bush to make the deal.

At a joint news conference with Mukherjee, Rice said no substantive issues stand in the way of signing the deal; she said it was only a matter of waiting for a series of administrative steps by the Congress to transmit enabling legislation to the White House for Bush to sign.

"We don't have open issues" with the Indians, Rice said.

Mukherjee said his government was satisfied with the progress and was awaiting final action in Washington.

"Once this process is complete we'll be in a position to sign," Mukherjee said.