#Home After a bear hug, Obama gets down to business with Modi in India: NEW DELHI: US President Barack Obama landed in New Delhi Sunday for the start of a three-day visit to India, receiving a hug from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he disembarked from Air Force One. According to protocol, the prime minister does not greet foreign leaders on their arrival, meeting them instead at a formal ceremony at the presidential palace. Obama, who landed in the overcast capital at around 9:40am (0410 GMT), was accorded a red carpet welcome at the start of a visit which is seen as symbolising a new warmth in sometimes strained bilateral ties. As Obamas motorcade headed off for the welcome ceremony at the residence of President Pranab Mukherjee, the roads were lined with armed police and soldiers, part of a highly choreographed plan for the visit. Read: Dont interfere with Obama visit security, India tells US Up to 40,000 security personnel will deployed during the visit and 15,000 new closed-circuit surveillance cameras have been installed in the capital, according to media reports. After a working lunch that included kebabs made with lotus stem, figs and spices, the two leaders got down to talks to finalise possible agreements on climate change, renewable energy, taxation and defence cooperation. Indian media reported that negotiators had struck a deal on civilian nuclear trade. The NDTV news channel said they had ironed out differences on suppliers liability in the event of a nuclear accident and on tracking of material supplied. The White House declined to comment on the reports and the spokesman for Indias Ministry of External Affairs said only “we hope for a positive outcome at the end of the day”. Also read: India clears cows, dogs, dust for Obamas Taj Mahal trip The United States views India as a vast market and potential counterweight to Chinas assertiveness in Asia, but frequently grows frustrated with the slow pace of economic reforms and unwillingness to side with Washington in international affairs. India would like to see a new US approach to Pakistan. Modi and Obama are due to hold detailed talks later on Sunday on a range of issues including climate change, defence cooperation and a long-delayed civil nuclear power agreement. Also read: Obama says elements behind Mumbai attacks must face justice Obama, who is the first US president to travel to India twice while in office, will also be the chief guest at Mondays Republic Day parade in the capital. The visit, which follows a summit in Washington in September, comes less than a year since the Obama administration effectively ended its blacklisting of Modi. The Hindu nationalist had been shunned by the United States and European Union following deadly communal riots in the western state of Gujarat in 2002 while Modi was the chief minister. Also read: Obama cancels Taj Mahal visit to go to Riyadh: White House In an interview ahead of his arrival, Obama hailed the “remarkable” rise of the 64-year-old Modi, the son of a tea-seller who was elected the leader last year of the worlds largest democracy. Elected last May, Modi has injected a new vitality into the economy and foreign relations and, to Washingtons delight, begun pushing back against Chinas growing presence in South Asia. Annual bilateral trade of $100 billion is seen as vastly below potential and Washington wants it to grow fivefold. Obama had been due to visit the Taj Mahal in the city of Agra on Tuesday, but he has scrapped that leg of his trip in order to attend the funeral of King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 11:51:40 +0000
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