Thursday, June 29 2006 11:09 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Lauding House International Commitee's endorsement of a bill to implement the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, former US ambassador to India Robert Blackwell today said he was optimistic that the similar bill in the corresponding Senate committee would be passed tomorrow.

In an interview to a local TV channel, Blackwell also said the draft bills have not in any way altered the spirit of the deal or put new conditions.

"I am optimitic that we will have an outcome in the Senate which will be like the one in the House yesterday, which will capture the essense of the agreement the President (George W Bush) and the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) and without any new conditions," he told NDTV from Washington.

"We hope there will be a vote in teh Senate also about the same time, the end of July, and hopefully the legislation will pass the Congress at the end of July or early August," he said.