Bush, Indian PM Hope Nuclear Agreement Will Pass

WASHINGTON — President Bush and Prime Minister Singh of India expressed hope yesterday that Congress will approve a landmark agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation whose passage is in doubt.

In remarks to reporters at the start of an Oval Office meeting, Mr. Bush said the deal is an example of how the American-India relationship has changed for the better during his administration.

"It has taken a lot of work on both our parts, a lot of courage on your part," Mr. Bush said, looking toward Mr. Singh. "Of course we want the agreement to satisfy you. We have to get it out of our Congress. We are working hard to get it passed as quickly as possible."

The pact would allow America to sell nuclear materials to a country that has tested nuclear weapons and has refused to sign international treaties designed to limit the illicit spread of such materials. The accord would reverse three decades of American policy by shipping atomic fuel to India in return for international inspections of India's civilian, but not its military, reactors.