PM may meet Obama at G-20 summit

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may be able to have a “private meeting” with US President-elect Barack Obama when he goes to Washington DC...

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may be able to have a “private meeting” with US President-elect Barack Obama when he goes to Washington DC for the world summit of G-20 countries on the global financial crisis on November 15.

South Block sources told The Indian Express that officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) are seeking a “private meeting with the President-elect”. But, the sources also said that it will depend on Obama’s availability during the PM’s visit, as he hasn’t taken a decision yet on whether to be associated with the G-20 summit or not.

Singh, who will be in Washington DC for barely a day, will have to “squeeze in a short, but significant meeting,” according to a top South Block official. The PM is expected to attend the November 14 dinner for the world leaders and then attend the meeting on November 15.

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Sources said the leaders will have to keep the meeting “private”, since a “public” meeting can happen only with incumbent President George W Bush as per the protocol.

The Indian Embassy in Washington DC, MEA’s Americas’ division and key PMO officials, in close coordination with the New Delhi-based US Embassy, are trying to work out a meeting. While a lot will depend on Obama’s availability, sources said the President-elect will, in all likelihood, be in Washington, where 20 world leaders will be converging for the crucial meet.

A top US Embassy official in New Delhi did not rule out a possibility of a meeting and said, “The Indian PM will always have a friend in the White House, not just in the present, but also in the future.”

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