President Obama says Modis vision of entrepreneurship and innovation would be “very important for a country like India”.
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VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte skipped summit meetings Thursday of Southeast Asian leaders with their US and Indian counterparts in Laos due to migraine, an official said.
Obama said that he had always been a friend of India and would continue to be a “strong partner of India and help in any way I can”, according to sources. The deal awaits ratification in the U.S. Congress, where there is opposition from both parties.
With his presidency nearing an end, Obama’s agenda has narrowed to a few key goals he hopes to complete before his successor takes over.
“I am not ready to concede”, Obama said, adding that his administration was making progress in reducing the prison’s population.
Mr Duterte’s outburst came after at a press conference where he told reporters he would not accept Mr Obama raising any concerns about the war on drugs in the Philippines.
Duterte on Monday had said that he would not take any questions from Obama regarding the extrajudicial killings in Philippines, which have occurred ever since he won the presidential elections in June 2016.
On Tuesday Mr Obama cancelled planned talks after the firebrand Mr Duterte called him the “son of a whore”. In a joint statement issued by leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, members were expected to issue a mild rebuke to China without referencing it by name.
“I realize this raises tensions”, Obama said earlier Thursday about the ruling.
A White House official said that Obama had a “brief discussion” with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ahead of a gala dinner in the Lao capital marking the beginning of the yearly ASEAN summit. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
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The White House said Obama had affirmed his support for India’s participation in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a consortium aimed at preventing civilian nuclear technology from diverted for military use.
