KOLKATA: US Ambassador Nancy Powell today met West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan and businessmen here, but did not have an interaction with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as was being speculated.
The US envoy was with the Governor for 45 minutes at Raj Bhavan where she discussed the importance of US-India bilateral relations and burgeoning business ties, US embassy sources said.
During her one-day visit here, Powell also met members of the business community where trade relations were discussed.
The chief minister scotched speculation about a meeting with Powell telling journalists “In my appointment card, there is nothing of the sort. It’s a problem that you make such news,” said a visibly annoyed Banerjee.
The official website of Trinamool Congress had on February 14 announced, “The US Ambassador to India, Nancy Powell, has sought a meeting with the West Bengal CM.
“A letter in this connection from her office has reached Nabanna, the state secretariat. West Bengal government has sought a formal clearance from the Union Ministry of External Affairs. The meeting may be scheduled for February 21 or 22.”
Powell had met Banerjee in September, 2012, and discussed possible US investments, among other things.
In May of the same year, the then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, too, had met Banerjee.–PTI
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