US Congress approves Indo-US nuke deal

Washington, Dec 9 (UNI) The US Congress today approved the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement, a prerequisite for implementation of the historic deal, which lifts a 30-year-old ban on the export of American nuclear technology and fuel to India.

The Senate endorsed the bill, pertaining to the agreement, unanimously and without discussion early today after the House of Representatives had passed it by 330 to 59 votes earlier.

The document now goes to President George W Bush for his signature.

The bill will be formally known as the ''Henry J Hyde United States-India Atomic Energy Peaceful Cooperation Act of 2006.'' It is named after the Republican Congressman Hyde, the outgoing chairman of the House International Relations Committee.

In the next stage, the agreement will have to seek the approval of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a body that sets guidelines for the nuclear trade and again come before the Congress for approval of its technical implementation scheme which had to be evolved by the officials of the United States and India.

President Bush has accorded high priority in his foreign policy to the agreement and wanted the outgoing 109th Congress in which his Republican Party has an absolute majority to get through the deal before the legislative body passes on the control to the Democrats for the first time in 12 years.

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