US says preparations underway to ensure 'good' schedule for PM

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Nov 13 (PTI) Ahead of Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh's visit here, the US has said preparations are
underway to ensure "a good, substantive schedule" for the
Indian leader, the first state guest of the Obama
Administration.
"We all look forward to the visit of the Prime Minister
later this month. I know that preparations are well underway
to ensure a good, substantive schedule for him," State
Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters at his daily
news conference Thursday.
President Barack Obama has invited Singh for his first
State Dinner at the White House on November 24.
Officials at both the State Department and White House
have been holding a series of meetings in the past few days to
give final touches to the visit of Singh later this month.
Both Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have
said that Administration wants to deepen and strengthen the
US-India relationship.
Indian Ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, also said
recently in Houston that "we are at an exciting moment of hope
and opportunity, as Prime Minister Singh and President Obama
prepare to build on the progress we have made to take the
relationship to a new level."
The White House had earlier said the two leaders are
expected to discuss a range of global, regional and bilateral
issues of shared interest and common concern. PTI