PM might skip UN General Assembly session in September

New Delhi, June 25 (UNI) With a hectic international schedule ahead in the coming months, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh might skip the United Nations General Assembly Session in September.

Though it is a rare departure from tradition, the Prime Minister will depute one of his cabinet colleagues to address the UNGAS in New York, beginning on September 12. Usually, the Prime Minister travels to New York where he gets an opportunity to interact with a large number of Heads of States who come there on the occasion.

Official sources said his pre-occupation with the first India-Brazil- South Africa Summit (IBSA) in Brazil and the Non Aligned Nations Summit in Cuba around the same time are the main reasons for skipping the UN Session. While the IBSA summit is scheduled on September 12 and the Nam is from September 11-16.If the Prime Minister goes to New York after the two summits, he will be away from New Delhi for a longer time,the sources pointed out.

It is now confirmed that the Prime Minister who will be travelling to St Petersburg to attend the G-8 Summit in July, will be meeting US President George Bush In October, the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend the India-EU Summit. Later in the first week of December, he will travel to Manila to participate in the India-ASEAN Summit along with a bilateral visit to Japan. In between he is also expected to make a visit to Islamabad if there is progress on bilateral issues.

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