PM, Obama to hold talks today

NEW DELHI - US President Barack Obama will hold a one-on-one meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at 11 a.m. at Hyderabad House here today.

More specifically during the bilateral talks, India will press for visible action against Lashkar-e-Toiba. They will discuss India’s role in Afghanistan, and India and the US’s worries over China’s rising aggression.

The US is also expected to support, but may not endorse India’s efforts for a UN Security Council seat.

The two countries will also finalise at least 10 agreements in a slew of fields including trade, clean energy, health, and aviation safety.

Lifting of restrictions on the export of hi-tech items and the ban on export of dual-use technology will also discuss during the meeting.

The two sides will also issue a joint statement later today, which will outline new areas of cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels.

From 3:30 pm, Obama will meet Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for 20 minutes each at the Hotel Mauyra Sheraton where he will be camping.

After this, Obama will address Members of Parliament at 5.30 p.m. and attend a state dinner hosted by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

Dr. Singh and Obama had a meeting here yesterday during which the two leaders are understood to have taken stock of bilateral ties and ways to push these to higher levels of strategic partnership.

Both leaders had a one-on-one meeting for about 50 minutes before the private dinner hosted by Dr. Singh for the visiting leader and his wife Michelle at his 7, Race Course Road residence. (ANI)