New Delhi/ Washington: Barack Obama accompanied by his wife Michelle Obama will touch down in the Indian capital on the morning of Jan 25 on a three-day state visit that, besides the symbolism of being the first time a US president would be chief guest at the Republic Day parade, is expected to see “substantive outcomes” from talks in the fields of defence, energy, climate change and trade.
Obama, who is arriving on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who he has called a “man of action”, would arrive on Air Force One at 10 am to a flurry of activities, which would culminate in a visit to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.
Obama is the first US president to visit India twice during his tenure and the first to attend the Republic Day parade as chief guest.
Modi and Obama would interact on at least seven different occasions during the three-day visit.
The two are also to record a joint ‘Mann ki Baat’ to be broadcast on All India Radio on Jan 27, in a different take from the joint article they had penned in the Washington Post during Modi’s visit to the US in September 2014.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said Obama’s visit was a “culmination of a qualitative reinvigoration of our ties following the meeting” between the two leaders in September last year.
He said since that meeting, both sides have “acted with alacrity to collaborate in common pursuits and traversed a transformative path”.
There was no clarification on whether Modi would go to the airport to receive the Obamas.
Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal has been named minister-in-waiting for the visit and would receive Obama at the airport as well as escort and assist him through the visit.
After his arrival, Obama would be accorded a ceremonial reception in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. He would then go to Raj Ghat to pay homage at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi. Obama would later head to Hyderabad House for bilateral discussions, which would be held in a restricted format.
After the talks, Modi will be hosting a luncheon for Obama and his delegation, during which delegation-level talks would be held, the spokesperson said. In the evening, Obama would meet President Pranab Mukherjee, who is to host a banquet in his honour.
On Jan 26, Obama would attend the Republic Day parade at Rajpath as the chief guest – during which India’s military might and cultural diversity is showcased in a two-hour open air event. In the evening, he would attend the At Home reception on the expansive lawns of Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted by the president.
Obama and Modi would also address business events on Jan 26 evening.
Both Modi and Obama are to address the US-India Business Council (USIBC) comprising businesspersons from both countries that evening.
On the last day of the visit on Jan 27, Obama would address a select audience at the Siri Fort auditorium on “India and America: The future we can build together”.
The Obamas will then proceed to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, before flying back to the US. (IANS)
