U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says India has "difficult choices" to make on a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States before the deal can be completed.
Rice made the remarks during an interview with Reuters news agency, but declined to give details. She says she thinks progress is being made.
Deputy Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, who is negotiating the deal with India, agrees that the parties have made progress. He told reporters Friday in Washington the agreement may be complete before President Bush travels to India in March.
The accord would grant New Delhi access to the civil nuclear technology it has been denied for three decades, provided that it segregates its military facilities and opens civilian facilities to United Nations inspections.
Any deal reached between the two countries on nuclear technology would have to be approved by the U.S. Congress.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
