Just two months after his last trip to Asia, President Obama left Saturday for a three-day visit to India that includes no world summits, no major decisions to make and a relaxed schedule designed mainly to give plenty of chances for dinner and conversation with the country’s popular new prime minister.
The India itinerary, unusual for the normally frenetic White House, is meant to drive home a message about Obama’s intentions for his foreign policy in the last two years of his presidency: His repeatedly delayed “pivot to Asia,” a reorientation of policy priorities and military and diplomatic interests, is finally happening.
“He wants people to realize this is an important commitment,” said one advisor familiar with the plans.