The Senate approved on Wednesday a nuclear agreement with India that essentially lifts a 30-year ban on the sale of civilian nuclear materials to the Asian country.
Rice "will travel to India and Kazakhstan on October 3rd through the 5th," state department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
In India, she will meet with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, opposition leader L. K. Advani, and other Indian leaders.
Rice welcomed the deal, saying, "I applaud Congressional approval last evening of the U.S.-India Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (123 Agreement)."
"The U.S.-India 123 Agreement reflects the transformation of our relations and a recognition of India's emergence on the global stage. The Agreement bolsters our partnership with the world's largest democracy and a growing economic power, and will provide economic and job opportunities for our economy," she added.
The 123 pact will be formally signed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Condoleezza Rice, Indian official sources said.
"Arrangements are being made for the signing of the 123 agreement. It will take us a day or two to finalize these arrangements," the U.S. ambassador to India, David Mulford, said.
President Bush praised the approval of the bill, which gives India access to U.S. civilian nuclear technology and nuclear fuel supplies in return for New Delhi allowing UN inspections of some of its civilian nuclear facilities.
"This legislation will strengthen our global nuclear nonproliferation efforts, protect the environment, create jobs, and assist India in meeting its growing energy needs in a responsible manner," the U.S. president said.
Electric power generation at India's nuclear power plants is declining due to the shortage of fuel. The country's uranium reserves are insufficient to meet domestic demand, and as it has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), India was banned from purchasing uranium abroad.
India currently operates 14 nuclear power plants.
The implementation of this deal is the only way for India to facilitate cooperation with nuclear powers without signing the NPT. India refuses to sign the treaty, saying that it discriminates against countries that tested nuclear weapons after 1967.
India tested a nuclear weapon in 1974, and the multinational Nuclear Suppliers Group was founded the following year to control the proliferation of nuclear materials.
The 45-nation organization lifted its ban on civilian nuclear trade with India earlier this month, paving the way for Congress to approve the U.S.-Indian agreement.
