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Vajpayee arrives in New York

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee arrived in New York on Tuesday on a week-long visit to the United States during which he will articulate to world leaders the need for a comprehensive battle against terrorism and Pakistan's failure to end cross-border infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir.

Vajpayee is expected to discuss with US President George W Bush at a meeting on September 12 a wide range of bilateral issues and convey to him Pakistan's failure to go through its promise to end cross-border terrorism.

On his arrival at the John F Kennedy airport from Frankfurt where he had made a night halt, Vajpayee was received by Indian ambassador Lalit Mansingh and India's permanent representative to the United Nation Vijay Nambiar.

The issue of combating terrorism in totality and the need to put pressure on Islamabad to make it keep its promise to end infiltration of militants into Jammu and Kashmir will be high on the agenda when he meets Bush within hours of the US president's discussions with Pakistan's President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

But the Vajpayee-Bush discussions are expected to go much beyond terrorism with the two leaders considering steps needed to develop the multifaceted relations between the two countries, especially in the economic field.

During his address to the UN General Assembly on September 13 as also discussions with other world leaders, the prime minister would speak strongly on the need to combat terrorism and point out that the scourge is responsible for several ills of the world and hampers economic development.

External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and Foreign Secretary Kanwar Sibal, who are already in New York, joined the prime minister's delegation, which includes National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra.

Vajpayee was greeted by Indians at the airport from where he drove straight to Hotel New York Palace where he would stay till he leaves for New Delhi on September 15, reaching on September 17 after a night halt in Zurich.

More reports on the PM's visit to the US

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