India-U.S. Summit To Discuss Terror Attack, Trade and Development


Washington: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama are meeting here for their third summit Friday (2100 IST) with an intent to "give added meaning and content" to their strategic partnership, including ways to counter terror, and iron out differences over trade and economic issues.
The activities of Pakistan based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed were very much on the agenda "especially because it was a very great concern nationally for us" Indian Ambassador Nirumpama Rao said adding, "US was aware of that and is concerned about that."
As Manmohan Singh said on arrival Thursday, the US is one of India most important strategic and trading partners and an "important provider of investment and technology support for India's development.
"We need the United States on our side as we move to give new added thrust to our development programmes," said Manmohan Singh, who turned 82, as he sits down with Obama, 52, mid-morning at his Oval Office at the White House for an hour-long chat to review their ties spread over diverse fields.
Vice President Joe Biden will join the two leaders "as they chart a course toward enhanced trade, investment, and development cooperation between the United States and India," according to the White House.
With corporate America mounting a shrill campaign about "India's discriminatory trade policies" the US has also signalled its intention to make its concerns about doing business in India the "centrepiece for discussions" between the two leaders.
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Source: IANS