Indo-Asian News Service
Washington/Lucknow, Jan 24: US President Barack Obama took off Saturday morning for his three-day visit to India to be the chief guest at Republic Day parade, described as a ‘‘genuine honour’’ by the White House.
Due to inclement weather, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrived at the Andrews joint base by motorcade instead of Marine One.
Obama’s presidential Air Force One plane will have a refuelling stop at Ramstein Air Base in Germany before flying to New Delhi.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest announced that the Obamas wll not visit the Taj Mahal on the last day of his India trip.
They will go to Saudi Arabia instead to pay his respects to the newly appointed monarch King Salman and the family of the late King Abdullah.
Vice-President Joe Biden was originally to have led a delegation to Saudi Arabia on Obama’s behalf.
However, the schedule for the President’s departure from India has been adjusted to allow Obama to stop in Riyadh himself on his way home, Earnest said.
A government spokesman said in Lucknow the presidential visit to Agra ‘‘for all practical purposes was over.’’
Obama arrives in India Sunday. He is the first US President to visit India twice during his tenure and the first to be the chief guest at the R-Day celebrations.
