Rice to visit India on Oct. 3

Onboard Air India One, Sept 27 : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit India on October 3.

Officials accompanying Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on his ten-day visit to United States and France said today that Rice would be meeting Dr. Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The announcement came even as the US-India civil nuclear cooperation deal is still awaiting Congressional approval.

Sources said that the deal is expected to be ratified by that time.

Local commentators, however, said that Rice's visit has nothing to do with the deal and it was a pre-planned event.

Sources said that Mukherjee, who visited the US earlier this year, had invited Rice to make to trip to India. By Naveen Kapoor

ANI