On Board Air India One, Oct. 30: The huge build-up to the Obama visit on November 6 notwithstanding, sources have indicated that the US President could announce a lifting of restrictions on some dual-use technologies during his forthcoming visit, but the big ticket defence deals are still being worked upon in the run-up to the visit.
However the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, fresh from a round of talks with the US secretary of state, Ms Hillary Clinton, at the East Asia Summit in Hanoi — that ran for 45 minutes — remained enthusiastic about the benefits that will accrue from the visit, describing India-US relations as “entering a new phase”. He was speaking on board Air India One.
“There is cordiality, there is understanding, and a common desire to bring about a qualitative change in our relationship,” Dr Singh said after back-to-back meetings with Ms Clinton as well as the Australian Premier, Ms Julia Gillard, on the sidelines of the 8th India-Asean meet and an expanded East Asia Summit.
“We have an economic relationship, a strategic partnership with the US, many areas where India and the US would like to work towards finding a commonality of interests,” the PM said.
Speaking on his meeting with the Chinese Premier, Mr Wen Jiabao, Dr Singh reiterated that while the two countries resolved to find practical, pragmatic, mutually satisfactory solutions to the border problem, they recognised the issues that divided.
“We agreed that in the meanwhile peace and tranquillity should be maintained along the border,” Dr Singh added.