PM likely to visit US by 2009 end

National Security Advisor M K Narayanan, who is presently accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the G8 Summit held in Italy, met his counterparts from United States of America, France, Germany and United Kingdom on Thursday.

His meeting with US NSA General James Jones was crucial as it discussed the details about Prime Minister's proposed visit for bilateral talks to US.

PM's first visit to the US in his second tenure will be closely watched, as it will not only take the Indo-US nuclear deal and defence relations further, but will also decide the tone and tenor of the relationship and the roadmap of the co-operation in the current term of the Singh government.

PM Singh's visit is likely to be held in the end of this year or early next year. US President Barrack Obama's invitation is already with PM Singh.   

Early next week PM Singh is visiting France on a day's visit. NSA

Narayanan met his counterpart Lewitt to finalise the details. French president Nicholas Sarkozy is also expected to visit New Delhi this year which, was also discussed.

Simon McDonald, British PM Gordon Brown's foreign policy advisor, also met Narayanan to discuss UK-India's nuclear co-operaiton, the Afghanistan situation and also, Paksitan.