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New Delhi, Wednesday (AFP) India said it will sign an agreement with the United States not to extradite each other's nationals to a world tribunal, in a victory for Washington's efforts to scuttle the International Criminal Court.

A foreign ministry statement said a deal will be signed Thursday between Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal and the US ambassador to India, Robert Blackwill.

The agreement will cover "the non-extradition of nationals of either country to any international tribunal without the other country's express consent," the statement said.

US President George W. Bush's administration opposes the creation of an International Criminal Court (ICC), saying the tribunal could bring politically motivated charges against Americans, including civilian military contractors and former officials.

But the ICC enjoys support of many US allies, particularly in Europe, and is expected to go ahead with the election of 18 judges in February.

The United States has instead been trying to reach bilateral agreements under which countries will pledge not to extradite any US national to an international court.

With India, the United States has reached such agreements with at least 15 countries.

Others that have signed non-extradition agreements with Washington are Afghanistan, the Dominican Republic, East Timor, El Salvador, Gambia, Honduras, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Micronesia, Palau, Romania, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

John Bolton, the US under secretary of state for arms control and international security, said November 14 that Washington was focusing its efforts on non-extradition with countries in South Asia and the Middle East. 

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