Sonia to visit U.S. next month

By Javed M. Ansari

NEW DELHI MAY 23. The Congress president and Leader of the Opposition, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, is likely to visit the United States next month at the invitation of the Asia Society.

The week-long visit beginning most probably on June 21 is being billed as a major diplomatic exercise, and is aimed at acquiring an international profile. Mrs. Gandhi during her stay in the U.S. will visit New York and Washington. In New York, she is expected to address a meeting of the Asia Society, while in Washington she has engagements with the Council of Foreign Relations and the Indian Overseas Congress. Her programme also includes a brief stopover in Britain.

This will be the second time that Mrs. Gandhi is travelling abroad as Congress president. In March this year, she made a two- day visit to Hong Kong. According to AICC sources, she had long- pending invitations from Russia, the U.K. and China.

The invitation to visit Russia was extended by the Russian President, Mr.Vladmir Putin, and the Speaker of the Russian parliament during their visit to India. The invitation to visit China was made some time ago by Mr. Li Peng, and the Congress president is examining the possibility of visiting these countries later.

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