Obama's visit to India includes climate change talks
WASHINGTON — President Obama's upcoming visit to India includes viewing the Taj Mahal and a major holiday parade and hopes for progress on climate change negotiations.
Obama and his host, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will also speak with a group of CEOs during a largely ceremonial visit designed to highlight the U.S.-India relationship.
"From the time the president took office, he's made increasing U.S. engagement with India top foreign policy priority," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser for strategic communications.
In addition to climate change, national security issues will be on the Obama-Modi agenda, including ongoing Indian tensions with Pakistan, the wind-down of the war in Afghanistan, and nuclear negotiations with Iran. (Unlike previous presidential visits, Obama is not planning a companion trip to Pakistan.) Other topics will include education, space exploration and nuclear power development.
Officials prepared for the India visit after Obama accepted Modi's invitation to attend the annual Republic Day parade in New Delhi.
The president and first lady Michelle Obama will leave the White House late Friday for an overnight flight to New Delhi, where they will land early Sunday local time.
Later that day, Obama plans to visit memorials to Indian and American civil rights icons Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Obama and Modi have formal meetings Sunday as well.
Monday is the parade to celebrate India's Republic Day. Obama will be the first American president to attend the ceremony.
Once a British colony, India established Republic Day to celebrate its constitution and the founding of its democracy. The parade features a display of military hardware as well as marching bands, horses, camels, and floats adorned with massive floral arrangements.
The president's attendance "sends a very important message to the world as well as to the American and Indian people about our commitment to embrace the potential of this relationship," Rhodes said.
A "CEO Roundtable" with Obama, Modi and business leaders from both countries will also be Monday, and is devoted to discussion of U.S.-India trade and investment.
Obama is scheduled to deliver a speech Tuesday on what Rhodes called "his vision for the future of the U.S.-Indian relationship."
The first couple cap the trip Tuesday with their visit to the Taj Mahal, the 17th century architectural marvel built by a Mughal emperor to house the remains of his beloved wife.
The Obamas are scheduled to return to the White House early Wednesday.
It is Obama's second visit to India as president, and follows up on a Modi visit to Washington last fall.
Climate change and clean energy will be a major topic of talks between the two leaders this time around.
The White House is pushing a global agreement on climate change, but skeptics have long said that a deal like that is worthless unless major polluters such as China and India are included.
In November, Obama and the Chinese government announced an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, though critics said the deal requires more of the United States than China. It is, however, the first time China has ever agreed to limit or freeze its greenhouse emissions.
Don't expect a a China-like deal from this India visit, however. Analysts noted that Modi's priorities involve fighting poverty and creating jobs, and the pollution-generating manufacturing sector is a part of that effort.
India is interested in mitigating climate change and will likely stress its development of cleaner energy like wind and solar power, and energy efficiency programs.
"India prides itself on its development of renewable energy," said Malini Ranganathan, an assistant professor in global environmental politics at American University's School of International Service.
Ranganathan said people should be "optimistic, but also realistic" about progress on climate change during the upcoming talks.
"This is more of a ceremonial visit," she said. "There's going to be a lot of pomp."
Rhodes described the trip as "a very important opportunity for us to look at what can we do, what areas can we cooperate in, to give additional momentum to the (global) climate negotiations."