Mukherjee, Rice to sign 123 pact

Washington, Oct.10 : India and the United States will sign the landmark bilateral nuclear cooperation accord in Washington on Friday night.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will formally sign the accord.

US President George Bush, while signing the US-India civil nuclear Bill into law, said that the legislation does not change the fuel assurance commitments that the US government has made to the Government of India, as recorded in the 1 2 3 Agreement.

In New Delhi, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on Thursday night approved the landmark accord, to implement the civil nuclear deal.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, discussed the final shape of the agreement and the accompanying statement by President George Bush, after which the go-ahead was given for signing the agreement at a meeting of his senior Cabinet colleagues in New Delhi.

ANI