Frankfurt: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived here today on his way to the US where he will hold bilateral talks with President Barack Obama in Washington and attend the UN General Assembly in New York besides meeting his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.
Singh's week-long US visit is aimed at charting a course for “future cooperation” by expanding and deepening bilateral relations in a host of areas, including trade, investment, defence and counter-terrorism.
Implementation of the civil nuclear deal, ways to expand cooperation in the fields of defence, security and economic issues will be high on the agenda of the meeting between Singh and Obama in Washington on September 27.
Some agreements including the one between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and US firm Westinghouse and about a dozen in the field of defence are expected to be signed during the visit.
“Over the past decade, our relationship with the United States, which is one of our most important relationships, has transformed into a global strategic partnership,” Singh said in his departure statement in New Delhi.
Singh, who will be having a third summit meeting with Obama since 2009 said, “The intensive, high-level bilateral visits over the last few months reflect the strong momentum of bilateral engagement.
“We have also registered impressive progress in our cooperation across the full spectrum of the relationship...My visit is an opportunity to review our joint efforts and chart a course for our future cooperation,” he said.
The Prime Minister said India sees the US as a long-term partner in the country's development efforts, and in fostering a global environment that is conducive to its growth.
From Washington, Singh will move to New York to address the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
The UNGA, Singh noted, will also meet at a time of enormous political upheaval, particularly in West Asia, coupled with a global economic slowdown that has now affected even the emerging economies.
“I will convey our strong conviction that global challenges are best addressed through multilateral approaches, with the United Nations at its centre,” he said.
The Prime Minister also said he looked forward to meeting with leaders of neighbouring countries including Pakistan during his visit to New York.
Singh will stay in Germany overnight and will head to the US tomorrow.
