June 22, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 06, 1428

NEW DELHI, June 21: Indian and the US diplomats are trying to put together a summit meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W. Bush at the latter's ranch in August, The Hindu said on Thursday.

It quoted a senior unnamed US diplomat as saying: “It will be a busy summer for foreign office officials of both sides. Depending on how things work out with the civil nuclear deal and other outstanding issues, there is the possibility of the Indian Prime Minister being hosted at Mr Bush's ranch in Texas for a day or two.”

The diplomat referred to Mr Bush's “affability” with Dr Singh, which led the president to suggest the option of both being together for a day or more in the countryside. Invitations are extended to a rural retreat and a more intense interaction with as few aides as possible only to leaders of nations with whom the US has a close working relationship, The Hindu said.

For the Manmohan-Bush meeting to become a reality, the United States is looking for breakthroughs on several fronts, especially economic and military, it said. For India though the major interest is in the stalled civil nuclear deal.

“There can’t be a summit with nothing on the table. Apart from the civil nuclear deal, we would also be looking for agreements on several other issues that are being discussed now,” the diplomat said, adding the US was looking for agreements that could open up trade and joint research in several areas.