Burns meets Krishna, discusses PM's visit to Washington
New Delhi:
US Under Secretary of State for Political
Affairs William J Burns met External Affairs Minister S M Krishna here on Friday
and is reported to have discussed matters relating to Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh's visit to Washington next month. Burns was accompanied by US Ambassador
to India Timothy J. Roemer. "The main purpose of the visit is to help prepare
for Prime Minister Singh's state visit to the White House next month. It is no
accident that the Prime Minister's visit will be the first state visit to Washington
during the Obama administration. That reflects a high priority that President
Obama and Secretary Clinton and the entire administration attach to our relationship
with India," Burns said. "We have a very rich agenda for cooperation and partnership
between United States and India on a wide range of regional and global issues
before us ranging from health to education to civil nuclear cooperation to defence
to clean energy to climate change," he added. "I remain very optimistic about
the prospects for further progress in relations between our two countries in months
and years ahead. I remain convinced that US-India partnership is one of the keys
to global prosperity in 21 century," he said. Burns also called on Health and
Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be
the guest at President Barack Obama's first State Dinner, to be held on November
24.
