ID :
20299
Sat, 09/20/2008 - 09:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/20299
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PM leaves for US, France on Sept.22, terrosim high on agenda
New Delhi, Sept 19 (PTI) Terrorism will be high on the agenda of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in meetings with world leaders including U.S. President George W. Bush and in his address at the U.N. General Assembly when he leaves on a nine-day visit to the U.S. and France next Monday.
Singh travels to Washington from New York on September
25 on a working visit for parleys with Bush at the White House
amid uncertainty whether the landmark Indo-U.S. nuclear deal
conceived by the two leaders in 2005 will be cleared by the
U.S. Congress by then. He will be in the U.S. capital just a
day ahead of the Congress winding up its session.
Briefing newsmen on Singh's visit, Foreign Secretary
Shivshankar Menon Friday said the Prime Minister is expected
to focus on issues relating to combating terrorism, promoting
a verifiable and comprehensive disarmament, global economy and
expansion of the U.N. Security Council. Singh will address the
U.N. on Sept.26.
Menon said the Prime Minister is due to have bilateral
meetings with the new Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the 63rd
session of the U.N. General Assembly. The exact dates are
being worked out through diplomatic channels.
At his first meeting with Zardari, Singh is expected to
push for an atmosphere free of violence and convey India's
strong concerns on cross-border terrorism. There will also be
an economic dimension to this bilateral meeeting with
proposals regarding cross-border trade coming up on the table.
"We will have to deal with basic questions coming in the
way of normalisation of (Indo-Pak) relations," Menon said in
the backdrop of incidents like ceasefire violations by
Pakistani troops and rising terror attacks recently.
The progress in India's relations with European and France
separately will be reviewed during Singh's visit to Marseilles
and Paris for the Indo-E.U. summit and meeting with French
President Nicholas Sarkozy on September 29 and 30
respectively.
India and France may ink a bilateral nuclear agreement
in Paris. A bilateral civil aviation agreement is also on the
cards as the two countries look for ways to expand their
strategic partnership. The Prime Minister returns home in the
early hours of October one.
Menon said Bush and Singh will review the implementation
in progress of various initiatives since the two leaders met
in Japan on the sidelines of the G-8 summit in June.
The Prime Minister will be one of the key speakers at the
U.N.G.A. session which has "The impact of the global food
crisis on poverty and hunger in the world as well as the need
to democratise the United nations" as the theme for this
year's debate.
India is looking foward to a quick conclusion of the
Inter-Governmental negotiations on expansion of the U.N.
Security Council, officials said. India has staked a claim to
get permanent membership of the Security Council.
Asked whether the issue of attacks on Churches in Orissa
and Karnataka is expected to figure during Singh's meteings,
Secretary (West)in the External Affairs Ministry Nalin Surie
said "it is not a problem for us". The issue has already been
discussed, he said.
Menon indicated that China's role at the Nuclear Supplier
Group (N.S.G.) while attempts were being made to forge a
consensus to grant India-specfic waiver is not likely to cast
a shadow on Singh-Wen parleys after it raised some concerns in
this country.
There are big issues which needs a look and referred to
the lingering boundary dispute and also a larager global
matters. "The N.S.G. went on well. The consensus is behind
us," he said.
The Prime Minister will meet the Indian community in New
York on September 27 before he leaves for Marseilles in France
on that day.
Singh will have an overnight halt on September 22 before
he leaves for New York the next day. PTI GSN
KNO
NNNN
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Singh travels to Washington from New York on September
25 on a working visit for parleys with Bush at the White House
amid uncertainty whether the landmark Indo-U.S. nuclear deal
conceived by the two leaders in 2005 will be cleared by the
U.S. Congress by then. He will be in the U.S. capital just a
day ahead of the Congress winding up its session.
Briefing newsmen on Singh's visit, Foreign Secretary
Shivshankar Menon Friday said the Prime Minister is expected
to focus on issues relating to combating terrorism, promoting
a verifiable and comprehensive disarmament, global economy and
expansion of the U.N. Security Council. Singh will address the
U.N. on Sept.26.
Menon said the Prime Minister is due to have bilateral
meetings with the new Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the 63rd
session of the U.N. General Assembly. The exact dates are
being worked out through diplomatic channels.
At his first meeting with Zardari, Singh is expected to
push for an atmosphere free of violence and convey India's
strong concerns on cross-border terrorism. There will also be
an economic dimension to this bilateral meeeting with
proposals regarding cross-border trade coming up on the table.
"We will have to deal with basic questions coming in the
way of normalisation of (Indo-Pak) relations," Menon said in
the backdrop of incidents like ceasefire violations by
Pakistani troops and rising terror attacks recently.
The progress in India's relations with European and France
separately will be reviewed during Singh's visit to Marseilles
and Paris for the Indo-E.U. summit and meeting with French
President Nicholas Sarkozy on September 29 and 30
respectively.
India and France may ink a bilateral nuclear agreement
in Paris. A bilateral civil aviation agreement is also on the
cards as the two countries look for ways to expand their
strategic partnership. The Prime Minister returns home in the
early hours of October one.
Menon said Bush and Singh will review the implementation
in progress of various initiatives since the two leaders met
in Japan on the sidelines of the G-8 summit in June.
The Prime Minister will be one of the key speakers at the
U.N.G.A. session which has "The impact of the global food
crisis on poverty and hunger in the world as well as the need
to democratise the United nations" as the theme for this
year's debate.
India is looking foward to a quick conclusion of the
Inter-Governmental negotiations on expansion of the U.N.
Security Council, officials said. India has staked a claim to
get permanent membership of the Security Council.
Asked whether the issue of attacks on Churches in Orissa
and Karnataka is expected to figure during Singh's meteings,
Secretary (West)in the External Affairs Ministry Nalin Surie
said "it is not a problem for us". The issue has already been
discussed, he said.
Menon indicated that China's role at the Nuclear Supplier
Group (N.S.G.) while attempts were being made to forge a
consensus to grant India-specfic waiver is not likely to cast
a shadow on Singh-Wen parleys after it raised some concerns in
this country.
There are big issues which needs a look and referred to
the lingering boundary dispute and also a larager global
matters. "The N.S.G. went on well. The consensus is behind
us," he said.
The Prime Minister will meet the Indian community in New
York on September 27 before he leaves for Marseilles in France
on that day.
Singh will have an overnight halt on September 22 before
he leaves for New York the next day. PTI GSN
KNO
NNNN
The information contained in this electronic message and any attachments to this
message are intended for the exclusive use of the addressee(s) and may contain
proprietary, confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify
the sender immediately and destroy all copies of this message and any attachments
contained in it.
