US President Barack Obama's visit India.Just days after the midterm elections, President Barack Obama will fly to Asia for a four-country diplomatic tour, which is bound to be a relief in some ways.Taj Mahal Hotel prepares Premium liquor cabinet for Barack Obama
New Delhi After much speculation and jostling with dates, US President Barack Obama is slated to make his first official visit to India in November second week.
It is learnt that both sides have agreed to hold the visit on November 7-10 after the conclusion of Congressional elections in the US.
Now that a set of dates is on the table, sources said, preparations have already begun with November 8 being planned as the day for Barack Obama official meetings.
While details of Barack Obama retinue are still not known, it is widely expected that his family will be accompanying him. One of the main considerations in slotting the dates was that the US President wanted to bring his daughters to India.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had invited Obama to visit India in his first congratulatory telephonic conversation on November 12, 2008 after the latter won a historical election. He reaffirmed the invitation in his letter to Obama once he formally assumed office in January 2009.
Subsequently, on his visit to Washington as the first state guest of the Obama presidency last November, Singh announced that a "very warm welcome awaits him and his family in India". Obama accepted the invitation and said he would be visiting India soon. Since then, the positive intent on both sides had sparked off speculation over dates as the White House tried to find a convenient timeframe.
Further, Obama's White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel decided to spend his New Year vacation in India last December. Though it was a private visit that saw him tour the Jim Corbett national park, some cities in Rajasthan besides getting a feel of Old Delhi, his trip was seen as an indicator that White House was seriously planning a Presidential visit.
In this context, the bilateral strategic dialogue in Washington in the first week of June assumes significance. While External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will be leading the Indian delegation, he will be accompanied by Deputy Chairman of the Planning Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Science & Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao too will be there to hold talks with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns.
This is the first round of the dialogue, which was first agreed when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited India, but now the focus will clearly be on the deliverables for the November visit. It is learnt that National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and his US counterpart Jim Jones have also been in regular contact over phone. Menon is also expected to visit Washington soon.
Already, both sides have reached an agreement on the arrangement and procedures for reprocessing US-origin spent fuel. With the government working overtime to have the Civil Nuclear Liabilities Bill cleared by Parliament in the monsoon session, the visit could signal conclusion of all remaining steps on the nuclear deal.
