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Vajpayee advances departure to US: PTI

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's programme in the United States has undergone further change, with his departure being advanced by a few hours to enable him to reach New York on the afternoon of September 7.

Vajpayee, who was to have left Delhi after breakfast, will now leave around midnight of September 6-7. After halting at Zurich for a few hours, he will leave for New York, to reach that afternoon.

Notwithstanding his knee problems, the prime minister will attend the Asian Society dinner on his arrival in New York.

The next day, Vajpayee, leading a high-powered Indian delegation, will address the United Nations millennium summit in New York. In the afternoon, he will have bilateral meetings with the prime ministers of Bangladesh and Nepal.

The prime minister will attend a function of the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan and an ayurvedic conference on September 9.

In the evening, he will address a public meeting organised by the Indo-American Association.

Official sources said no meetings have been lined up for Vajpayee in New York for three days beginning September 10.

He leaves for Washington on September 13.

Vajpayee will address the joint session of the US Congress on September 14 in Washington. He will have meetings with the House International Relations Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and members of the US Congress, who form the India caucus.

On September 15, Vajpayee will be accorded a ceremonial reception at the White House, to be followed by one-to-one talks with President Bill Clinton and delegation-level deliberations on a wide range of issues covering international, regional and mutual concern.

That afternoon, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and senior colleagues will call on the prime minister. In the evening, Vajpayee will address a meeting of the National Association of Manufacturers, the counterpart of the Confederation of Indian Industries.

On September 16, Vajpayee will unveil a statue of Mahatma Gandhi and attend a reception to be hosted by Indian ambassador Naresh Chandra followed by a reception hosted by Indian community.

Vajpayee will have an interactive session with academic and cultural personalities on September 17 before attending a banquet hosted in his honour by Clinton.

Vajpayee will leave for Frankfurt immediately after the banquet and he will be there for a day.

He returns to Delhi on the night of September 19.

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