Obamas to skip Agra visit, fly to Saudi
President Barack Obama, accompanied by First lady Michelle Obama and a large delegation of officials and political figures, left for New Delhi on Saturday to join the Republic Day celebrations and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advance India-US relations in concrete terms. The Obamas, however, will skip the much-anticipated visit to Agra on Tuesday to see the Taj Mahal and instead proceed to Riyadh to mourn the death of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and call on the new ruler, King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
“The President regrets that he will be unable to visit Agra during this trip,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement just before Obama took off from the Andrews Air Force Base. The Obamas will land in Delhi at 10 am on Sunday. Elaborate security arrangements were made for his visit to Agra, where the entire city and the stretch of Yamuna Expressway between Delhi and Agra was fully sanitised leading to a nearly complete shutdown of the town and routes. Besides, extensive efforts were made to provide ground to air security cover through UAVs and helicopters. Nearly 4,000 security personnel, including local police and paramilitary forces, were deployed for protection besides 100 personnel from USA security force were to provide security.
CCTV cameras were installed along the route from the Kheria airport to Taj Mahal and commandos were to be positioned atop roofs. However, with his travel plan changed all arrangements have been put at ease. Explaining the last-minute change of President’s programme, leading to scrubbing of his Agra trip, the spokesman said Vice President Joe Biden was to have originally led a US delegation to Saudi Arabia on the President’s behalf.
However, as the President’s and Vice President’s travel schedules became clearer, it was determined that the time by which the Vice President would be able to reach Riyadh coincided with the President’s departure from India. Accordingly, the schedule was adjusted in coordination with the Indian Government, Earnest said.
“I can tell you that the President is very much looking forward to this visit. It is a genuine honour to be invited as the guest for Republic Day,” Earnest told reporters, adding: “We’ve got many colourful descriptions about the parade and other festivities that go along with marking this important day. The President is looking forward to seeing it firsthand.”
Conceding the US’s economic interest in taking the India relationship forward, the spokesman said there is an important economic component to the Obama Administration’s India policy agenda. Earnest commented that President Obama “certainly enjoyed the conversation that he had with Prime Minster Modi (in Washington last September)” and “does see an opportunity to build a strong working relationship” with Modi to advance the bilateral relations.
“We know that Prime Minster Modi is very interested in injecting that kind of energy and vitality into the relationship between the United States and India, and I can tell you that President Obama shares that desire,” Earnest said, noting that as the first US President to embark on a second India visit while in office, Obama is showing his “commitment to India, the Indian people, and the relationship between the US and India”.
A number of American business leaders are travelling to India in conjunction with the President’s visit as they see tremendous opportunities in India. And the US Government is interested in strengthening these ties for the benefit of people in both countries, he said. Before starting for India, Obama also conveyed greetings to President Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of India’s Republic Day and said it was a “great honour” to serve as India’s Chief Guest during the celebrations.
In his message, he said: “On behalf of the American people, I extend best wishes as you and the people of India celebrate India’s Republic Day January 26. The Republic of India has nurtured the world’s largest democracy since adopting its constitution 65 years ago, while honouring the country’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. As we work to deepen the ties between our great democracies and advance our partnership for the 21st century, we will continue to do so on the basis of the democratic ideals contained in our constitutions. It is a great honor to serve as India’s chief guest during the Republic Day celebrations. Michelle and I very much look forward to returning to India, and once again enjoying the generosity, hospitality, and beauty that marked our last visit in 2010.”
Cooperation in key areas of climate change, defence, security, counter-terrorism and the situation in India’s extended neighbourhood is among the issues that are likely to be discussed between Obama and Modi during the talks at Hyderabad House. Officials in Ministry of External Affairs said that some progress has been made between the two sides on the talks in london, relating to nuclear deal, but some “lingering issues” may require resolution at the political level. It is expected, the meeting on Sunday may further help solve the contentions.