PM to address US Congress
PRIME MINISTER Manmohan Singh will have the rare honour of addressing a joint session of the US Congress when he visits next month. The address has been slated for July 19, a day after Singh's meeting with President George W. Bush.
PRIME MINISTER Manmohan Singh will have the rare honour of addressing a joint session of the US Congress when he visits next month. The address has been slated for July 19, a day after Singh's meeting with President George W. Bush.
Although a host of foreign leaders visit Washington every month, only very few are invited to address Congress. Since 1824, only 97 such addresses have taken place. The last one in April was delivered by Ukraine's newly-elected President Viktor Yushchenko.
The decision by Speaker Dennis Hastert to invite Prime Minister Singh follows a vigorous proposal on this score by over 70 Congressmen and several Senators. The petitioners included India Caucus co-chairs Gary Ackerman and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Senators John Cornyn and Hillary Clinton.
The US India Political Action Committee, citing the Speaker's confirmation on Friday, also quoted House Majority Leader Tom DeLay as saying that he is "excited and delighted" over Dr Singh's visit.
It will be the first visit to Washington by an Indian Prime Minister since Atal Bihari Vajpayee's came here in September 2000 at the invitation of President Bill Clinton. Vajpayee had also addressed Congress at the time.
A host of issues, including cooperation in civilian nuclear energy, space and high technology and UN reforms are expected to figure in the Prime Minister's talks with Bush.
Ahead of the PM's visit, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee is arriving here for key meetings next week with Vice-President Dick Cheney, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley. A FICCI business delegation will accompany the minister.
