Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will arrive this Sunday for his first visit to the US since the Obama administration took office. The Indian Prime Minister will be President Obama’s first State Guest since his inauguration in January. During an interview with the Washington Post, Prime Minister Singh said that during the visit he “would like to operationalize it (the civilian nuclear agreement) and ensure that the objectives for the nuclear deal are realized in full. My hope is that we can persuade the U.S. administration to be more liberal when it comes to transferring technologies to us.” He expressed a desire to increase cooperation in education and health sectors.
The Indian side is vary of the Obama administration and is said to feel slighted due to certain US actions, including growing proximity to China. The US-China joint statement during President Obama’s Beijing visit which suggested Chinese mediation in resolving the Indo-Pak dispute, evoked sharp criticism from New Delhi. The visit would also be an opportunity for India to press the US to put more pressure on Pakistan to act strongly and urgently against terrorists operating from Pakistan.
Prime Minister Singh will attend the State Dinner at the White House on Tuesday, and hold talks with President Obama. He is also scheduled to speak at the Council for Foreign Relations and meet with the Indian-American business community. His next stop will be the Copenhagen summit on climate change.
Related links: PM Singh’s press statement before leaving on his tour.
