PM arrives in US amid suspense whether Congress will clear 123

New York, Sep 23 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today arrived here to address the UN General Assembly and hold talks with President George W Bush on wide-ranging bilateral relations, including the civil nuclear initiative, amid suspense whether the US Congress will give the green signal to implement the 123 agreement.

The Prime Minister will meet Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York tomorrow.

Dr Singh will go on September 25 to Washington on a ''working visit''. He will address the UN General Assembly on September 26 in New York. He will also attend a high-level meeting on the UN Millenium Development Goals during his five-day US visit.

The Prime Minister will meet the World Bank President Robert Zoellick and the Indian Community in the US before flying to France for the India-European Union Summit at Marseille on September 29 and bilateral India-France Summit in Paris with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Dr Singh will also hold talks in New York with his British and Italian counterparts -- Gordon Brown and Silvio Berlusconi -- and Namibian President Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba.

The Prime Minister arrived here from Frankfurt where he made an overnight halt.

Terrorism is one of the major issues on which Dr Singh would try to focus the world community's attention during his address to the UN General Assembly.

The Prime Minister, in a statement before his departure from New Delhi yesterday afternoon, called for reform of the world body and other international institutions.

More UNI RB RP BD2135