Obama gets ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan
8 NOV, 2010, 10.05AM IST,IANS
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NEW DELHI: A ceremonial reception was accorded to US President Barack Obama at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Monday morning.
On the third day of his trip to India, President Obama and his wife Michelle were welcomed warmly at the presidential palace forecourt by Indian President Pratibha Patil and her husband Devisingh Patil. They were then greeted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Gursharan Kaur.
President Obama, who arrived Saturday in Mumbai and reached New Delhi Sunday afternoon, will leave for Rajghat after the ceremonial welcome to pay tribute at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi -- Obama's "real hero".
He will then hold formal talks with Prime Minister Singh and address a joint press conference.
In the evening, he will address a joint sitting of parliament before heading for a state banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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India a world power: Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Agencies
New Delhi, November 08, 2010
New Delhi, November 08, 2010
First Published: 10:09 IST(8/11/2010)
Last Updated: 10:14 IST(8/11/2010)
Last Updated: 10:14 IST(8/11/2010)
A ceremonial reception was accorded to US President Barack Obama at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on Monday morning. On the third day of his trip to India, Obama and his wife Michelle were welcomed warmly at the presidential palace forecourt by Indian President Pratibha Patil and her husband Devisingh Patil. They were then greeted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Gursharan Kaur. The US President got a ceremonial guard of honour.
"India is not a rising power but a world power," said Obama in a short statement. He expressed his gratitude for the welcome and affection shown to him during his visit. He emphasised on economic and people-to-people ties between the US and India and announced counter-terrorism will figure in his talks with top Indian officials this afternoon.
President Obama, who arrived Saturday in Mumbai and reached New Delhi Sunday afternoon, has left for Rajghat after the ceremonial welcome to pay tribute at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi -- Obama's "real hero".
He will then hold formal talks with Prime Minister Singh and address a joint press conference.
In the evening, he will address a joint sitting of parliament before heading for a state banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The truly substantive part of US President Barack Obama's visit to India began on Sunday evening with his arrival in Delhi. In Mumbai, he mainly spoke of deals with India that were already done, and the jobs these would create in the US.
Though he did offer some glimpse of the US's thinking on Pakistan in an interaction with college students, it is what he says on Monday that will spell out the contours of Washington's political outlook on India — be it on the question of India gaining a permanent seat in the expanded UN Security Council, or on issues related to Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as east Asia.
Indian officials do not expect Obama to endorse India's longstanding demand for a permanent seat in the expanded UN Security Council (UNSC).
The best they hope for is that the language Obama uses while referring to this demand will go a little further than the usual cliché about India being a 'natural choice' for UNSC membership.
On high tech exports, there will be a positive movement, with Indian officials expecting the US to express its intention to reform the export control laws in the India-US joint statement that is expected after the Obama-Manmohan Singh talks.
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