Dodd to visit India for talks on bilateral ties, economy

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Jul 2 (PTI) Describing India as a "true"
friend of the US, influential American Senator Chris Dodd has
said he will discuss with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
and other top Indian leaders the bilateral relations and
global economic crisis during his visit to the country next
week.
"India is an important economic partner and has been a
true friend to America for many years," Dodd, the Co-Chair of
the Senate India Caucus, said in a statement ahead of his
visit.
Dodd, a Democrat, is also the Chairman of the powerful
Senate Banking Committee, a senior member of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee and a member of its subcommittee
on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs.
"I look forward to visiting Delhi and Mumbai and meeting
with officials to discuss current issues affecting both
countries and how to further strengthen US-India relations,"
he said.
During his stay in New Delhi, Dodd is scheduled to meet
Prime Minister Singh, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna,
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Deputy Chairman of the
Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
In Mumbai, he would be meeting members of the Reserve
Bank of India.
The visit of the Senator comes in the aftermath of the
first-ever Cabinet-level Indo-US Strategic Dialogue held in
Washington early last month. The Dialogue was co-chaired by
Krishna Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
This week, top officials from both countries attended the
Indo-US CEOs Forum meeting.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee along with Commerce and
Industry Minter Anand Sharma and the Deputy Chairman of
Planning Commission represented the Indian Government at the
meeting. The US side included Clinton and several other top
officials from the Obama Administration.
Recently, Dodd had received the 'Friend of India' award.
"India is a trusted friend to America and an important
ally in addressing the global challenges that both our
countries face," he said, adding that he was proud to play a
role in developing the relationship between the two countries.
"I'm looking forward to continuing my work on
strengthening US-India relations in the Senate India Caucus
during my last months in the Senate-and beyond," Dodd said.
PTI LKJ
MRD


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