The Hindu Business Line : Rice meets Pelosi, Berman to push ratification of N-deal

WASHINGTON: In its bid to quicken the process of Congressional nod for the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Secretary of State, Ms Condoleezza Rice has met two key Democrats and powerful players – Ms Nancy Pelosi and Mr Howard Berman - discussing how they could help in the Congress ratifying the 123 agreement before the end of the session on September 26.

Ms Rice met Ms Pelosi, the powerful Speaker of the House of Representatives, in which the two discussed the process for considering the 123 accord once it has been submitted to the Congress for ratification, Ms Pelosi's spokesman Mr Nadeam Elshami said.

“The Speaker looks forward to reviewing the submission in detail and consulting with Chairman Mr Berman and members of the leadership in determining the appropriate course of action,” Mr Elshami said.

The importance and urgency of the nuclear deal from the perspective of the administration and Congress is reflected in the fact that Ms Pelosi, who had visited India in March, broke away from a press conference with top Democratic Party leaders saying th at she had a meeting Ms Rice on India.

Earlier, Ms Rice met with Mr Berman, a vocal critic of the Indo-US nuclear deal, who is also the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Though Congressional aides described the Rice-Berman meeting as a “private meeting,” it was generally believ ed that the top US diplomat discussed the modalities of winning Congressional approval for the nuclear deal in the 110th Congress, technically due to end on September 26.

Mr Berman had warned the US Congress to not rush through the 123 agreement with India until Bush Administration proved that it did not cut any “side deals” at the NSG meeting to get the India-specific waiver. - PTI

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