NEW DELHI (TIP): US President Barack Obama will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House on September 27 in a meeting aimed at dispelling a common narrative in Washington and New Delhi that the Indo-US relationship has gone adrift. The visit will provide the two leaders an opportunity to chart a course toward enhanced trade, investment, and development cooperation between the US and India, said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden. The announcement coincided with Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon’s visit to Washington. Menon told reporters on Tuesday evening he was confident that preparations were underway for a “successful working visit”. “You must expect it to be a substantive meeting,” he said.
Menon met National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and members of the intelligence community in Washington. Menon dismissed suggestions that the Indo-US relationship had gone adrift saying: “In every area we are doing more together.” Menon said there had been “steady” progress on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, but acknowledged that there were some people who would like it to move faster. In his meetings in Washington, Menon discussed the recent deadly incidents along the Line of Control (LoC). Amid the LoC flare-up, India has not taken any decision on whether Manmohan will meet Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif when the two leaders attend the UN General Assembly session in New York next month. Menon said he discussed the violence along the LoC with his US interlocutors, but that the Americans did not share their opinion on a possible Manmohan- Sharif meeting.
The US is “very correct about not getting involved in other people’s business,” he said. Hayden said the Manmohan- Obama meeting would “highlight India’s role in regional security and stability”. Menon and Rice reviewed the Indo-US strategic partnership. “Ambassador Rice reaffirmed US’ commitment to further expanding and strengthening our bilateral relationship, including economic and commercial ties,” Hayden said. “The two exchanged ideas on enhancing our security cooperation, reviewed progress on our civil nuclear and clean energy cooperation and explored greater collaboration on climate change.” The two officials also discussed India’s support for a stable, secure and prosperous Afghanistan. On proposed defence talks, he said: “It (defence ties) could be (path breaking). It is still a work in progress. But it is significant.”