WASHINGTON, July 11: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged US lawmakers on Tuesday to approve the Indo-US nuclear deal by the end of this month. Addressing Indian-American physicians and hotel owners in Washington, Ms Rice encouraged lawmakers to endorse the deal before they leave for a recess expected in the next several weeks. The deal was overwhelmingly endorsed by two key congressional panels last month.

Ms Rice’s speech followed India’s test-firing of a new missile designed to carry nuclear warheads across much of Asia and the Middle East. She did not mention the launch in her comments.

But the White House said on Monday that it had been alerted by India before the test.

When asked if the launch would cause problems as US lawmakers consider the nuclear deal, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said India’s advance notifications of its plan to launch ‘are the sort of things that provide reassurance to people’ in Congress.

“India will soon become the world’s most populous nation, as well as one of the world’s five largest economies,” Ms Rice noted.

“And, of course, as a rising global power, India can be a pillar of stability in a rapidly changing Asia and a strategic partner for the US as we meet the challenges of the 21st century.”