Parrikar to give keynote speech at Maharashtrian conclave in US

Panaji July 4 (IANS) Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said he will be on a personal visit to the US to attend a convention organised by the Brihan Maharashtra Mandal at Michigan where he will be delivering the keynote speech.

Parrikar told reporters that the five day visit was planned and finalised when he was serving as Defence Minister.

This invitation was given and accepted when I was Defence Minister. Then as a Defence Minister I was thinking of planning a visit to the US which I had agreed to visit every quarter. Once from the US Secretary of Defence and once from me. Every sixth month I was to visit US. So I was thinking of planning this (attending the event) around that time so that both can be done.

But now that I have become chief minister they (the organisers) insisted that I still come he also said.

--IANS
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