New thrust to Indo-US ties: PM to meet Bush on July 18

NEW DELHI: Embarking on his first bilateral visit to deepen and widen the Indo-US ties, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet President George W Bush on July 18.

The three-day visit, at the invitation of Bush, is aimed at taking the process further based on a shared vision of the leaders of the two democracies, External Affairs Ministry spokesman said here on Friday.

A host of issues, including civilian nuclear energy, co-operation in space and technology and UN reforms are expected to figure in the talks between the two leaders, officials said here.

Ways of further boosting the ties will also be explored during the discussions, the officials said.

Singh and Bush have met at least twice, including on the sidelines of last year’s UN General Assembly since the UPA Government came to power last May but the upcoming meeting between the two leaders will be the first at the bilateral level.

India and the US are engaged in the process of enhancing their multi-faceted co-operative relationship with a number of high-level exchanges taking place recently.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited India in March soon after her appointment to Bush’s new team . Her visit was followed by Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca and top defence officials.

Defence co-operation is also likely to figure in the talks between Singh and Bush in the backdrop of mutual desire to expand relations in this field and Washington’s offer of multi-role combat aircraft to Indian Air force.

The strategic relations between the two countries, which had received a setback after the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests, have lately undergone a transformation.

The two countries have begun the Next Step in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) dialogue, covering high technology trade. The first phase of NSSP has been completed and thrust is being given to expediting and expanding the second phase.

Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, the two countries launched a new bilateral dialogue on energy, which envisages setting up working groups focusing on, among other things, clean coal technology.

The ‘India-US Energy Dialogue’ was launched after a meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and US Secretary for Energy Samuel W Bodman in Washington on Wednesday.

Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and US Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, David Garman, will co-chair the steering committee supervising the five working groups.

Together, they will promote increased trade and investment in the energy sector to strengthen mutual energy security and promote stable energy markets to ensure adequate supplies, the statement said.

The first meetings of the working groups are expected to take place prior to Singh’s visit to the US.