US' Rice to visit India, Kazakhstan

WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit India this week, officials said on Thursday, celebrating a foreign policy success after Congress approved a deal to open up U.S. nuclear trade with India.

Rice spent much of last month in an all-out effort to persuade Congress to approve the pact, which ends a three-decade ban on U.S. nuclear trade with India. Congress passed it on Wednesday and President George W. Bush is expected to sign it into law soon.

Rice will also make a trip to the Central Asian state of Kazakhstan, the State Department said. The oil-rich former Soviet republic has maneuvered carefully between Russia and the West.

"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to India and Kazakhstan on Oct. 3 through 5," spokesman Sean McCormack told a briefing.