Obama to visit India in mid 2010

WASHINGTON, USA: United States President Barack Obama will visit India this summer, making him the first US President to visit India in the first two years of his first term in more than 30 years, a rediff.com report quoted senior administration officials as saying.

The only other US president in recent times who visited India in his first term (and his only term) was President Jimmy Carter, but Obama administration officials discreetly pointed out that Carter was almost into his third year of presidency when he went to New Delhi, but Obama would like to visit India half-way through his second year in office, the report added.

During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on November 24, Obama had accepted Dr Singh's invitation to visit India next year.

Though no dates have been nailed down yet, it is likely that the visit would be during next summer, when the US Congress is in recess and no contentious domestic issues are being discussed and negotiated.