Hanoi, Oct. 29: US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will hold one on one talks with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday, with the meeting squeezed in between bilaterals being held with the Singapore and Australian Premiers just before the Prime Minister ends his three nation tour of East Asia, long seen as China’s backyard. Dr Singh will also be calling on his host, Mr Nguyen Minh Triet, the President of Vietnam.
With the high profile visit to India by US President Barack Obama set for November 6, and only days away, secretary Clinton is expected to discuss the forthcoming visit which she will herself not be attending.
Ms Clinton will focus on the bilateral visit, with the US administration said to be particularly pleased with the signing by India of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, thereby delivering on the last of its commitments stemming from the landmark 2005 nuclear agreement with the US. Sources said that officials have not yet fixed a time for the meeting. While the subject of Dr Singh’s visits to Tokyo and Malaysia may be part of the conversation and the growing convergence of views among the 10 Asean countries on the alarming rise of China, the focus will remain on the big ticket announcements expected to be made in Delhi during the Obama visit. “This is essentially a courtesy call,” said a source. Ms Clinton ahead of her arrival in the Vietnamese capital had made it plain that the US did not approve of the manner in which China held Japan to ransom by holding back exports of rare earths, making it all the more urgent for Japan to find new friends like India in the neighbourhood.