Winter Session advanced to accommodate Obama's address

The Winter Session of Parliament is being advanced by a week to enable United States' President Barack Obama to address members, which is likely on November 9.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal said plans to afoot to convene the month-long session from November 8 and that the joint address could take place the next day.

"There is no denying the fact, if some guests come from a friendly country (such gestures do take place) as our prime minister has addressed Parliament in various countries including the US," he said adding that relations between India and the US were improving.

Bansal's response came in reply to a question whether the Winter Session is being advanced to accommodate Obama's address. He, however, said it was for Speaker Meira Kumar to decide the timing.

Obama, who took over as US President in January last year, will undertake his first state visit to India with an aim of pushing the bilateral ties to new heights.

Former US president Bill Clinton had addressed a joint session of Parliament during his visit in 2000.

Obama's predecessor George W Bush, who visited India in March 2006, could not have the honour of addressing the joint session of Parliament of the world's largest democracy.

Initially, Bush was tipped to address the joint session but the plan was dropped when the Left parties threatened to boycott it.

The Left parties were critical of Bush over the war in Iraq.

Among others to have addressed the Indian MPs at a joint session was the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who visited India in August 2007.