U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) shakes hands with India's Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee before their meeting in New Delhi October 4, 2008. Rice arrived in India on Saturday after Congress ratified a historic nuclear pact, but was unlikely to sign the deal during her visit because of a bureaucratic 'glitch'. (B Mathur/Reuters)India Tilts to The US With Nuclear Deal -- AFP
NEW DELHI (AFP) — India and the United States promised Saturday to sign soon a nuclear cooperation deal which New Delhi said "opened the door for India" to the global nuclear market and tied its future to Washington's.
Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee and visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters that last-minute hitches had derailed the scheduled signing of the agreement but both looked to the future.
"It is this agreement which has opened the door for India for international nuclear commerce," Mukherjee told a packed press conference with Rice by his side.
"What India and the United States are doing today has direct benefits to our peoples," he added. "India's quest to build a knowledge society leads us to work very closely with the USA."
He added that he hoped the deal "will be signed shortly."
Rice, who had lobbied Congress to approve the deal despite fears it could undercut global efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons, had hoped to initial the agreement as the highlight of her brief trip.
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My Comment: This is a seismic strategic shift in the world. India is clearly aligning itself with the U.S.. Every country in Asia and the Middle East is noticing these moves.
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