Now a strong government will be talking to Obama: Sushma

Ahead of the much-anticipated summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama in Washington, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Monday said "this time a strong government will be talking" to the US.

Answering a question in her first press conference since taking over the ministry in May, Sushma Swaraj said the Modi-Obama talks on Sep 30 will see a "strong government" interacting with the US, "which will make all the difference".

The questioner sought to know as to in what manner would Modi's interaction be different from that of the previous UPA government when Obama met erstwhile prime minister Manmohan Singh for summit meetings.

On talks with the US, Sushma Swaraj said both sides "would try to realise the full potential of ties between the two countries".

"We will talk about manufacture, infrastructure, defence cooperation, security cooperation, a wide range of issues will be covered during the visit," she said.

The Modi-Obama summit talks in Washington are being looked forward to as the US had declined a visa to Modi in 2005 over the Gujarat riots when he was chief minister of that state.

The US has sent several top-level dignitaries to India, including Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to India to lay the groundwork for the talks.

Modi swept to power at the head of a massive mandate in the April-May general elections where he was the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate.