The US ambassador designate in India, Robert Blackwill, will present his credentials to President KR Narayanan at a glittering ceremony on September 3. Immediately thereafter, he will address the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on foreign policy -- the Bush administration.
Blackwill has waited more than a month to present credentials and was, therefore, unable to come centre-stage during the visit of US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick. The ceremony was further delayed owing to the indisposition of the President. However, the fact that Narayanan will now receive Blackwill indicates that he is recovering. It is significant that it is the CII that Blackwill has chosen as the forum from which to make his first remarks on the US foreign policy under the new administration. Coming as it does on the eve of the Doha ministerial meet, the lecture is expected to clarify the US position on which it does not share India
