July 21, 2011 – 11:33 pm By Ayyappa Prasad
Chennai,July 21(TruthDive): U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Tamil Nadu Chief Minister that her country was groping around to break the impasse of the displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka. She also hinted that US supports India as their ally in the Asia and not China.Later she told a group of students that US wanted India to open its trade barriers and be more assertive in Asia especially about human rights in the region.
Hillary who congratulated Jayalalitha on her electoral victory in a one hour talk that dealt with issues ranging from Sri Lanka to investment from US majors in the city. The TN CM told Clinton that despite the war between LTTE and Sri Lanka over two years back the displaced Tamils from the island nation were in refugee camps. The rehabiltation process has not been put in place.
Ms.Jayalalithaa also expressed concern over the reduction in the issue of H1B visas even though, in terms of number of Visas issued, the Chennai U.S. Consulate was the second largest in the world. Ms. Clinton invited Ms.Jayalalithaa to visit the United States.
Referring to the upcoming East Asian Summit at Indonesia Clinton, said her country will collaborate with India and others.”We encourage India to look East and Act East,” she said.
She said the issue that is high on the agenda of US President Barack Obama who will be attending the summit is the maritime security and development of disaster relief. The US has decided to invite India to participate as an observer, for the first time, in the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that the U.S. will host in Hawaii in November. Membership in the group is limited to nations and economies that border the Pacific Ocean, which India does not.
