Washington: A red carpet welcome awaits
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as he lands at the Andrews Air
Force Base on Sunday as the first state guest of President Barack
Obama for a visit that is expected to take the Indo-US
strategic relationship to the next level.
The Prime Minister, his wife Gursharan Kaur, and his
delegation would be welcomed by a group of children and the
Indian American community, before he drives to the Willard
Intercontinental Hotel, three blocks away from White House.
Singh would be staying at the hotel instead of the
historic Blair House, US President's designated guest house.
The Prime Minister's state visit actually starts on
November 24 when US President Barack Obama and First Lady
Michell would personally welcome Singh and his wife at the
White House and he would be given a 21-gun salute.
Singh, however, would kick-off his trip tomorrow by
addressing the American business community, which is his way
of acknowledging their contribution in strengthening of the
US-India relationship and in particular their role in the
passage of the landmark civilian nuclear deal.
There is a huge enthusiasm among US corporate leaders
with many of them flying in from various parts of the country
just for this event.
Later in the evening, he would address the intellectual
community at the prestigious think tank Council on Foreign
Relations and would directly respond to their questions.
Several lawmakers and administration officials are also
scheduled to call on Singh during his stay here, including the
powerful Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.
The most significant part of the Prime Minister's trip to
the US will of course be his one-on-one meeting with Obama –
which officials have said – would shape the direction of the
Indo-US relations for the next few years.
Though the two leaders met in April on sidelines of the
G-20 Summit in London and briefly at Pittsburgh's G-20 Summit,
this would be for the first time they would discuss bilateral
issues and possibilities of cooperation on key global issues
including Pakistan, Afghanistan, climate change and nuclear
proliferation.
Following the meeting between the delegations of two
countries led by Singh and Obama, the two leaders are expected
to address a press conference at the White House, and a joint
statement reflecting the strengthening of the relationship
between the two countries would be issued.
The Prime Minister has indicated that he would seek a
"more liberal" US technology transfer to India and an early
implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Besides terrorism emanating from Pakistan is also
expected to be high on agenda of the Singh-Obama talks.
The two sides are likely to sign an MoU on counter-
terrorism that will provide a framework for institutionalised
cooperation particularly in intelligence sharing, sources
said.
The two countries are also expected to ink MoUs in
renewable energy, IPR in agriculture and announce Singh-Obama
Knowledge Initiative.
The Prime Minister and the Indian delegation would also
be hosted for lunch by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and
Vice President Joseph Biden.
The most anticipated part of the entire trip however has
been the evening of November 24, when Obama and Michell host
the first black-tie dinner for the Prime Minister.
An invitation to the dinner is believed to be the hottest
ticket in Washington this week.
While no official list has been announced so far, media
reports say that some 400 people have been invited to the
dinner, which would have the President and the First Lady's
personal touch, including on the menu and entertainment.
While officials on both sides are reluctant to discuss
the possible outcome of the Indo-US summit, it is widely
expected that the Obama-Singh meeting would mark another
milestone in the history of Indo-US relationship.
Administration officials have said it is no co-incidence
that Manmohan Singh is Obama's first state guest.
In fact, Singh is one of the rarest of the world leaders
who has been a State Guest twice, and in two different
administrations.
Bill Clinton had earlier invited Atal Bihari Vajpayee on
a state visit in 2000.
The Prime Minister is expected to conclude his trip to
the US by meeting leaders of the influential Indian American
community, a large number of whom are flying to Washington
from various parts of the country to attend his reception
hosted by the Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar.
Before he leaves Washington for the Commonwealth Heads of
the Government meetings in Trinidad and Tobago, observers here
feel the Prime Minister would leave his permanent stamp on the
Indo-US relationship, taking it to the '3.0 level'.
PTI