Rediff

Washington, Aug 5: The Bush administration is expected to present before the US Congress for its approval the US-India civil nuclear agreement around September 8 after its endorsement by the Nuclear Suppliers' Group.

An indication to this effect was given in Washington on Monday by State Department's Acting Deputy Spokesman Gonzalo R Gallegos.

In reply to a question, Gallegos said, "Now that the International Atomic Energy Agency has voted (the agreement), we're going to look to discuss this issue with the members of the NSG. We're hoping to get a positive result out of that sometime in the next month. And then, hopefully, we'll be able to present this to Congress September 8 -- on or about September 8 -- sometime during the upcoming session of Congress."

"Well, we've stated often our support for this deal and we believe that it's important not only for the bilateral relationship, but also for nuclear security to the rest of the world," he said.

Asked whether the administration would have the 123 agreement before the Congress adjourned for the elections, Gallegos said, "Well, we're going to be working with our contacts on the Hill to explain why we believe this is important. And hopefully, we'll be able to have a positive outcome of this."