Singh, Bush may ratify N-deal during PM's US visit

New Delhi, Sept 7 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will go to Washington later this month and meet President George W. Bush when the two may ratify the Indo-US nuclear deal agreed to between them three years ago following the ringing endorsement received at the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group.

Singh, who is to undertake a tour of the US and France, will travel to New York first for attending the United Nations General Assembly after which he will go to Washington on a day's visit.

Former Ambassador to the US Lalit Mansingh feels by that
time the US Congress could approve the 123 civil nuclear
cooperation agreement entered into between Bush and Singh in
July, 2005 and the two could sign it in the final ratification
process of the deal.

If that is not possible by the time Singh visits
Washington, the deal could be signed by External Affairs
Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice if by that time a "lame duck" session of the Congress
approves it in December before the end of Bush's term in
mid-January next year.

From the US, the Prime Minister is scheduled to travel
to Marseilles in France for the annual Indo-EU summit and
then to Paris for a meeting with French President Nicholas
Sarkozy. PTI VSC