U.S., India Strategic Dialogue to Set Stage for PM Narendra Modi's Visit

WASHINGTON:  India and the U.S. begin their first strategic and commercial dialogue in Washington from tomorrow to set the stage for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third summit meeting with President Barack Obama within a year a week later.

The two leaders had decided to expand the existing Strategic Dialogue to the Strategic and Commercial Dialogue during President Barack Obama's January visit to India to reflect the growing significance of the U.S.-India economic relationship.

Mr Modi himself lands in New York on Wednesday a day after Indian and U.S. teams led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Secretary of State John Kerry and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker wrap up the dialogue.

He will be meeting Mr Obama the following Monday in New York after wooing investors in New York and a weekend trip to the Silicon Valley focusing on three key themes of entrepreneurship and innovation, digital economy and renewable energy.

The September 28 summit would thus be capping eight days of intense India-U.S. engagement on both political and commercial planes starting with an energy dialogue led by Power Minister Piyush Goyal and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz.

Between the U.S.-India dialogue and the Modi summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping will be visiting the White House on September 24 -25.