India to hire new US lobbying firm (Former Bush admin employee's firm)

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2005/August/subcontinent_August895.xml§ion=subcontinent&col=

WASHINGTON — India is on the verge of hiring a firm linked to former US ambassador Robert Blackwill to lobby with the Bush administration and the US Congress but the company is refusing to confirm the deal.

The Indian embassy says it is in the process of negotiating an agreement with Barbour, Griffith & Rogers International and that a contract is yet to be signed.

Barbour, Griffith & Rogers is a leading lobbying firm and its president is Blackwill, ambassador to India from 2001-03, credited with leading the push for strategic alignment between the US and India. Andrew Paraciliti, vice president at the company, refused to divulge details but said Blackwill had nothing to do with any negotiations. "Any announcement of this matter will come from the government of India," Paraciliti said. He said Blackwill was legally prohibited from representing foreign governments through a one-year "cooling" period, which began when he left the administration in November 2004. "He, therefore, had no part in the discussions on this matter between the government of India and Barbour Griffith." However, a spokesperson at the Indian embassy said: "It is through.

"It is our intention to engage the services of Barbour Griffith & Rogers to advice and counsel to further our objectives here. We are not revealing any details. The contract has not been signed but it will be signed soon," he said.

Since Blackwill joined Barbour Griffith last year after leaving the Bush administration...