Ministry of External Affairs Briefs on US President Barack Obama's Visit to India

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has held a briefing on US President Barack Obama's forthcoming visit to India. He will become the first US President to visit India twice during his tenure at the White House.

Security has been beefed up in and around Delhi as well as Agra, where Mr Obama and his wife, Michelle, will visit the Taj Mahal.

Here are some highlights from the briefing by the MEA:

• Bilateral discussions will be held on January 25.
• The discussions will be followed by a banquet hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• On the evening of January 25, President Pranab Mukherjee will host a banquet.
• On January 26, President Obama will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations.
• On January 27, President Obama is scheduled to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra.
• President Obama and Prime Minister Modi will be together at the following events: At the ceremonial welcome, bilateral talks, banquet, the Republic Day parade, the event hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the business event and during the joint radio address.
• We have had nine dialogue meetings in the past four months, said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin,
  
• Visit of US President is a qualitative invigoration of our ties since our Prime Minister's visit to the US in September 2014, said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
• Since September, there have been 10 MoUs signed between India and the US in areas such as space, skill development and science technology among others.
• From our perspective, the US is a key partner in science and technology and our path of growth, said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
• It is a key partner in defence and counter-terrorism.
• The US is India's key interlocutor of global security structure.
• It is a partner in our efforts to seek peace and stability in our extended neighbourhood.
• We see the visit of President Obama to India as a (way of) strengthening of ties between India and the US on the whole spectrum of our relationship, said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
• In state visits, it is usual protocol for a minister to receive the dignitary, and this protocol will be followed.
• India and US have agreed earlier that the US will support India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
• On nuclear liability discussions: Even as we speak, our negotiators are working in a collaborative manner on nuclear liability issues, said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
• On nuclear liability discussions: The negotiations are presently happening in London. This is the third time that the contact group is meeting in last four months. The earlier meeting had taken place in Vienna.
• On nuclear liability discussions: The topics being discussed are administrative arrangements. Following the India-US nuclear deal, we need these arrangements or rules to do business.