PM at UN: No meetings with US and Pakistan

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session next will not include any bilateral meetings with the US and Pakistan. HT reports.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session next will not include any bilateral meetings with the US and Pakistan.

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While Obama is not going to be New York in the days that Singh is there — between 22 and 26 September — Pakistan PM Yousuf Raza Gilani has cancelled his planned visit.

Confirming the news, the White house on Friday said there is going to be no bilateral with India, so President Obama and PM Singh are definitely not meeting.

But the US is expecting to engage India later in the year.

“In his travels later this year, including to the East Asia Summit and other forums, Obama have opportunities to engage with Prime Minister Singh," US deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said.

Several other bilateral meetings and multilateral conferences are expected during the four days. External affairs minister SM Krishna, principal secretary to the PM TKA Nair, national security adviser Shivshankar Menon and foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai will be part of the delegation that accompanies the PM.

Briefing reporters on the visit, Mathai said "India's priority in the current session would be on working for reforms of the UNSC that should be reflective of current realities."

Singh will address UNGA on September 24. Singh had last addressed the UNGA in 2008.

India will work with Brazil, Japan and Germany, who are the other claimants for a permanent seat in the UNSC.