MUMBAI: US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were warmly welcomed on their arrival here Saturday evening.
Obama and Michelle walked down the ladder to a red carpet welcome by Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan who presented him a memento. The other dignitaries who received him on the tarmac were Union Minister for Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed, and Indian Ambassador in the US Meera Shankar.
Obama arrived here on the first leg of his three-day visit that will seek to focus on opening up of Indian markets for American businesses and deal with wide range of political issues, including strategy on counter-terrorism.
President visited the Hotel Taj and paid homage to the victims and signs the guest book at the 26/11 memorial in the hotel lobby.
He his opening remarks at a special function held in the Hotel Taj Obama said his decision to stay in Taj Hotel is a powerful message against terrorism and demanded that the perpetrators of the horrific Mumbai attacks should be brought to justice.
He said that the United States and India stand together against terror meeting the families of victims and survivors of the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks. "Ever since those horrific days two years ago, the Taj has been the symbol of the strength and the resilience of the Indian people” he said.
He said he was looking forward to deepening partnership in counter-terrorism during his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Later President, who is the follower of Gandhian philosophy visited the Gandhi Museum at Mani Bhawan to honour the memory of the father of the nation. In the evening he will attend a business summit organised by the US-India Business Council, participate in a roundtable with entrepreneurs and US CEOs and deliver a speech at Hotel Trident, another target of 26/11 attack.
The third US President to visit India in the last 10 years and sixth in all, Obama made statement against terrorism at the Taj, one of the targets of the 26/11 terror attacks in 2008. agencies/air