India and US reopen trade ties

Washington/New Delhi: With US President George W. Bush having signed the Bill enabling civilian nuclear cooperation with India, New Delhi and Washington are readying to ink the 123 pact, the final step that will reopen atomic trade between the two countries after a gap of over three decades.

"The 123 pact will be signed on Thursday afternoon or Saturday morning," a highly placed official source told IANS in New Delhi.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will formally ink the 123 agreement that will implement the landmark atomic pact accord allowing trade in nuclear reactors, fuel and technologies between the two countries.

"Let me just say the agreement will be signed at some point by both sides. I can't tell you when at this point, but the agreement will be signed," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said.