US requests rescheduling of Rice's India visit

Onboard Air India One, Sept. 28 : The Bush administration has reportedly approached the Indian Government with a request to reschedule the planned October 3 visit of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for the possible signing of the US-India civil nuclear cooperation deal.

Officials accompanying the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on the second leg of his 10-day visit to US and France, revealed this to the Indian media.

Official sources had earlier said that the agreement could be initialled by Rice and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on October 3, if it got the final approval of the US Congress by then. Mukherjee, who is currently in the US, is expected to return home on October 3. Officials said India had some concern over some part of the text of the agreement being considered in the Congress, but that was being duly addressed by the United States. By Naveen Kapoor

ANI