Action-packed calendar in store for diplomats

Following US president Barack Obama’s four-day visit starting November 5, the diplomatic marathon will see French president Nicolas Sarkozy arriving a month later for a two-day visit on December 6. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will be here in the middle of December for the annual summit talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

India is trying its best to get Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to visit Delhi before the year is out. Indian diplomats are trying hard to ensure the visit of the premier in December and negotiations are currently on.

This is mainly because, with India receiving British Prime Minister David Cameron in July, the year will see all the powerful P-5 country heads  visiting the country during the year (US, UK, China, France and Russia are the P-5 members of the UNSC). If the Chinese premier’s visit is through, this would be the first time India would be hosting the P-5 leaders.

Added interest in the Chinese top leader’s visit is the fact that this is the 60th year of the establishment of diplomatic and strategic relations between India and China.

If the visit happens, it marks a rare double for the two countries with the top leaders having visited each others’ countries the same year – President Pratibha Patil visited China in July to deepen and expand strategic and cooperative partnership. She was the first Indian head of the state to visit that country in a decade.

India will use these important visits to take advantage of its rising global stature and expand partnerships with these key players in several spheres.