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Vajpayee to meet Bush on September 24

New York, September 1
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is expected to hold his first meeting with US President George W. Bush on September 24 and with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf the next day on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

Officials said the details, including the time and venue of the meetings, were being finalised.

A host of regional and international issues are likely to come up for discussions between Mr Vajpayee and the US President who is under pressure from several Congressmen to lift sanctions imposed on India in the wake of the Pokhran tests. Mr Bush is expected to visit India sometime next year.

The meeting between Mr Vajpayee and General Musharraf would be their second interaction after the deadlocked Agra summit in July.

Mr Vajpayee will arrive on September 22 evening and address the concluding session of the “Year of Non-violence and Peace” being observed by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan here on September 23.

He is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly’s high level segment on September 25.

He is also expected to meet community leaders and investors during his five-day stay and address the Foreign Policy Association. Mr Vajpayee will leave for home on September 26.

The high-level segments of the assembly will begin on September 24 with an address by Mr Bush. General Musharraf is scheduled to speak later in the day. PTI