WASHINGTON, Jan 24:
US President Barack Obama left Andrews Air Force Base this evening for his highly anticipated three-day landmark trip to India on an invitation by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Obama was accompanied by a sizeable delegation that include several top officials, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama, when he arrives in New Delhi tomorrow morning, the White House has said.
The President will be joined in India by multiple members of his cabinet, influential business leaders and a host of US lawmakers, including Nancy Pelosi – the minority leader of the US House of Representatives, during the trip.
Air Force One, the Presidential aircraft that fly Obama to India, will have a brief refuelling halt over Ramstein in Germany and will touch down in Delhi at 10 am (IST) tomorrow at Air Force Station, Palam.
On his arrival, Obama will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at about 12 noon at the majestic Rashtrapati Bhawan by President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Modi. Thereafter, he will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat at 12.40 pm and participate in a tree-planting event there.
Obama will then join Modi for a restricted working lunch at the Hyderabad House and participate in a “walk and talk” with the Indian Prime Minister there at about 2.45 pm, the White House said.
The two leaders will then have an expanded delegation- level meeting, which is expected to last for about an hour. They will jointly address the press at about 4.10 pm.
Later in the evening, Obama is scheduled to meet embassy personnel and families at ITC Maurya Hotel at 7.35 pm. He will then drive down to Rashtrapati Bhawan to attend the state dinner with the President at 7.50 pm.
On January 26, Obama will participate in the Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest along with the First Lady. Later, the Obamas will attend a reception with Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
In the afternoon, Obama and Modi will participate in a CEO Forum roundtable and deliver remarks at a US-India Business Summit.
On January 27 morning, the US President will give an address at Siri Fort Auditorium.
In New Delhi, an unprecedented security arrangement, comprising Delhi Police and para-military forces, has been put in place in the national capital ahead of the arrival of Obama, who is on a three-day visit beginning tomorrow.
Obama, who will be the first US President to be a Chief Guest at a Republic Day, will be arriving tomorrow morning as Delhiites wake up to the unprecedented security arrangements with traffic restrictions on roads leading to Central Delhi.
Snipers of Delhi Police and National Security Guards will occupy all high-rise buildings on the routes which Obama will be travelling.
The green ridge opposite to Maurya Sheraton hotel has been thoroughly checked and police personnel have been deployed in the jungles along the ridge till the US President leaves.
Central Delhi has turned into a virtual fortress with security agencies partly or completely shutting down nearly 71 buildings. Even bonafide citizens of this area, including MPs and officers of the Armed Forces, have been either issued special passes or have to establish their identities to enter the zone.
A joint team of the US Secret Services and sleuths of central security agencies will be monitoring specially established control rooms which are connected to freshly installed CCTVs for the VVIP, who will be the chief guest at the 66th Republic Day on Monday. (PTI)
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