PM arrives in Thailand for ASEAN summit; to meet Wen Saturday Prakash

Chawla Cha-Am Hua Hin, Oct 23 (PTI) India's Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh flew in to this Thai beach resort Friday for the Association of South
East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and will hold crucial talks with his
Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao Saturday against the backdrop of the war of
words between the two neighbours over India's northeastern state of
Arunachal Pradesh.

Singh, accompanied by wife Gursharan Kaur, arrived at
the quiet and lush green town of Cha-Am Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand to
attend the India-ASEAN Summit Saturday and East Asia Summit on Sunday
alongwith several leaders from the Asia Pacific region. Singh is also
scheduled to meet Wen Saturday on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, as the
two countries struck conciliatory notes after provocative statements from
China on Arunachal Pradesh evoked a sharp reaction from New Delhi. China
regards Arunachal Pradesh as a disputed territory and objected to Prime
Minister Singh's visit there for assembly polls, triggering sharp reaction
from India which asserted that the state is an integral part of the country.
"All issues of mutual interest" will figure in the meeting, a senior Indian
External Affairs ministry official said ahead of the Singh-Wen talks. (More)
PTI PC ANU



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