“Mera Pyar Bhara Namaskar” (Greetings with Love), says President Obama
By Siva Sivapragasam
After taking a stroll in the well-cropped green lawns of Hyderabad House in New Delhi with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,U.S.President Barack Obama???s words of welcome at the press briefing were in Hindi “Mera Pyar Bhara Namaskar (Greetings with Love)”
The friendship between the two leaders was earlier bonded over a cup of warm tea, and Modi referred to the President by first name several times during the joint briefing and talked about their personal chemistry.
After the meeting officials announced a breakthrough in the nuclear deal stuck since 2008. The joint briefing followed talks between the two leaders and their delegations at Hyderabad House.
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrived in India for a three-day visit. He will be the first American president to be chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations. President Obama received a warm hug from Mr. Modi against the backdrop of a cold and overcast capital as he dis-embarked on the tarmac from his aircraft Air-force One at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
In a departure from protocol, Mr Modi drove to the airport to greet the President and his wife Michelle.
pics via: facebook.com/narendramodi
President Obama then used his armored limousine, the Beast, to drive to the five-star ITC Maurya hotel, before heading to Rashtrapati Bhawan for a reception. The Indian and US flags were fluttering on the bonnet of the Beast. Mr Obama will also be the chief guest at Monday’s Republic Day parade in the capital.
The two leaders have also made a breakthrough on the longdrawn out nuclear deal and have reached agreement. Commenting on the agreement reached, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh stated ???The deal is done???.
