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Bush-Manmohan meeting in August?

Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI: Indian and the U.S. diplomats are working on the possibility of a summit meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President George W.Bush in August, a senior U.S. diplomat said here.

“It will be a busy summer for foreign office officials of both sides. Depending on how things work out with the civil nuclear deal and other outstanding issues, there is the possibility of the Indian Prime Minister being hosted at Mr. Bush’s ranch in Texas for a day or two,” he said.

The diplomat referred to Mr. Bush’s affability with Dr. Singh, which led the President to suggest the option of both being together for a day or more in the countryside. Normally, most heads of state get to meet the President in the White House. Invitations are extended to a rural retreat and a more intense interaction with as few aides as possible only to leaders of nations with whom the U.S. has a close working relationship.

For the U.S., the nuclear agreement is not the only subject of overarching concern in its bilateral ties with India. For the Manmohan-Bush meeting to become a reality, it is looking for breakthroughs on several other fronts, especially economic and military.

“There can’t be a summit with nothing on the table. Apart from the civil nuclear deal, we would also be looking for agreements on several other issues that are being discussed now,” the diplomat said, adding the U.S. was looking for agreements that could open up trade and joint research in several areas, especially agriculture.

In a recent report, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative had listed several pending contentious trade issues. But the U.S. would also be looking for greater military action and a part of major defence contracts to be issued by India in the near future.

“It would be great if we could get to agree on the multi-role combat aircraft order [this would be the biggest defence import order by India],” he said.

For India, the signing of the civil nuclear deal would be a highpoint at the summit, if it materialises.

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