Obama to visit India in January: White House

The US president is scheduled to attend the Indian Republic Day as a chief guest; will meet Modi, Indian officials too


Afp/web Desk November 21, 2014

United States President Barack Obama, on the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will “travel to India in January 2015 to participate in the Indian Republic Day,” according to a statement issued by the White House.

Obama will participate in the celebration as a chief guest in New Delhi, and the visit will “mark the first time a US president will have the honour of attending” the celebration.

Further, the US president is scheduled to meet with the Indian prime minister and other Indian officials to “expand the US-India strategic partnership”.

Obama's trip follows up on a visit to Washington in September by Modi, courted by the United States as a key partner in its attempt to rebalance US foreign policy toward Asia

Modi met Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other key US officials at the White House for a private dinner, ahead of formal talks in the Oval Office during his visit in September.

Both nations issued a joint “vision statement” promising that their “strategic partnership” would work to combat terror threats, respond to humanitarian disasters, prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, as well as “mitigate” the impact of climate change.

Indian American activists have pressed for years to rehabilitate the image of Modi, who was denied a visa to the United States in 2005 on human rights grounds over anti-Muslim riots in his home state of Gujarat.

Modi denied wrongdoing and his charge over violence that killed more than 1,000 people.

COMMENTS (6)

Tyggar | 9 years ago | Reply

@Waleed Khan: You have chosen your side. You’ve still not visited Pakistan after 6 years in power. Pakistan is right in choosing China over you. But Xi Jinping also visited India so now you should choose North Korea who's President has not visited India yet

LS | 9 years ago | Reply

@Waleed Khan: Question is whether China has chose you or not? To be honest, Chinese don't choose sides. They only look for money and investment where ever they can. You are just one of many.

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