US House Speaker Pelosi to visit India tomorrow

WASHINGTON: The Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi will be visiting India tomorrow on a five-day trip, with the Indo-US nuclear deal as an agenda.

Pelosi, a powerful Democrat on Capitol Hill, will have her official meetings on March 20 with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior leaders.

Unlike other top lawmakers who include a few countries in their visits overseas, Pelosi is on a "India Only" visit.

She is expected to discuss major issues in the bilateral relations between India and the United States including the civilian nuclear deal.

Like her colleagues in the US Senate, who have visited India recently, Pelosi may also stress on a time-frame for the submission of the deal to the Congress, where she will be the major player in case of a final vote in the House.

The environment issue is also likely to attract considerable attention both in her official and non-official meetings.

Besides, the issue of Tibet may also be into the focus during Pelosi's visit to India especially in the context of the recent crackdown by China in the capital city of Lhasa.

The Speaker is an admirer of the Dalai Lama and has backed his calls for dialogue while generally being sharply critical of Beijing.