Pranab holds parleys with Czech counterpart

New York, Oct 1: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee held parleys with his Czech counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg on the sidelines of his UN visit.

Mr Mukherjee on Tuesday, Sep 30 discussed bilateral relations with Mr Schwarzenberg, whose country would assume the European Union presidency from January 2009. The Czech minister, a part of the current EU ministerial troika, briefed the External Affairs Minister on EU-related matters. Later in the day, Mr Mukherjee attended a meeting of Indian consuls general convened by Indian Ambassador to the US Ronen Sen. The minister exchanged views with the consuls general on matters of interest to the Indian-American community. Expanding further the Indo-US bilateral relationship also figured in the discussions.

According to a statement by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN, besides the ambassador, consuls general in New York, Chicago, Houston and San Francisco took part in the meeting. It was stated during the just-concluded visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the US that India would shortly set up two consulates in the US -- in Atlanta and Seattle. Mr Mukherjee delivered an address at the Asia Society on climate change and energy security.

UNI