US to support, work together in India’s emergence: Burns
The US has a deep strategic interest in India’s rise as a global power, a visiting American diplomat said here on Thursday after talks with foreign secretary Nirupama Rao. The two firmed up the agenda for US President Barack Obama’s visit to India in November.
“[The] US is committed to continuing to support India’s emergence and to working together to adapt international architecture to reflect the realities of the 21st century,” US under secretary of state for political affairs William Burns told journalists outside South Block. Assistant secretary of state for south and central Asia Robert Blake assisted Mr Burns in the talks.
Hinting at relaxing the American export controls, Mr Burns said in his meetings here he discussed how to “adapt and reform export control policies to reflect the realities of a 21st century partnership so that India is treated as partner, not as a target.”
He said both sides were making good progress on a host of other areas such as agriculture, health, education, defence and counter-terrorism cooperation, civil nuclear cooperation, and on “strategic interests acros Asia and Pacific”, besides the securing of global commons.
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‘Amritsar, Agra not ruled out’
age correspondent
New Delhi
Oct. 21: The possibility of US President Barack Obama paying a visit to the Golden Temple has not been ruled out as yet by Indian security agencies. Government sources disclosed that nothing has been conveyed to the security agencies so far about withdrawing the Amritsar visit from Mr Obama’s itinerary.
Similarly, a visit by the US President to the Taj Mahal in Agra is still on the cards.
“We are yet to hear the final word from the United States authorities but are preparing for his visit to both the places. Both Amritsar and Agra are still on his itinerary,” the official said.
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