Washington, Friday 03 Oct 2008: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to India on Saturday for a three day visit, during which the 123 agreement may be signed.

The State Department said she would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and hold talks with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, discussing a wide range of issues, including the civil nuclear initiative.

He, however, refused to say categorically whether the 123 agreement, which was Saturday overwhelmingly approved by the US Congress, would be signed during Rice’s visit.

Rice and Indian leaders are obviously going to talk about the agreement and what it means for the relationship, Department official said.

Sources in New Delhi, however, said the signing of the agreement was high on the agenda of the visit.

On the nuclear deal, he said: “It, in our view, will mean a different kind of relationship between the United States and India for decades to come.”