INDO-US 2 LAST

Significantly, the Strategic Dialogue will take place
when a team of Indian investigators will be in the US to
question David Coleman Headley, Pakistan-origin American, who
had played a key role in the Mumbai attacks.
There are reports that Obama may "drop by" during the
Strategic Dialogue, which would be only the second time that
the US President would visit the State Department after last
January when Richard Holbrooke was named as the Special Envoy
for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In the context of Afghanistan, India's role in
development and reconstruction of the country could come up
for discussion at the Strategic Dialogue.
The US, like all other countries, has been appreciative
of India's assistance in reconstruction of Afghanistan.
India and the US will also discuss ways to take forward
their initiatives in civil nuclear energy cooperation, trade,
investment, agriculture, education, healthcare and science and
technology.
The basis for the dialogue will be the joint statement
issued after India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's talks
with Obama in Washington in November that outlines the roadmap
for future of the relationship.
The five pillars outlined during that meeting were
strategic cooperation; energy and climate change; education
and development; economic cooperation, trade and investment
and science and technology and healthcare.
"It (the Strategic Dialogue) will focus on wide range of
bilateral, global and regional issues of shared interest and
common concern. It would give direction to programmes
currently under implementation," Prakash said.
Among other things, the two sides will consider ways to
operationalise the Obama-Singh Knowledge Initiative outlined
during the meeting between Singh and Obama in Washington in
November last year.
The initiative is aimed at increasing exchanges between
universities and other educational institutions.
Follow-up action on civil nuclear cooperation agreement
is also expected to be discussed.
They will also discuss cooperation within multilateral
fora and exchange views on how international organisations can
better address 21st century challenges, Prakash said, in an
apparent reference to reform of the UN.
"The dialogue will serve to reaffirm bilateral commitment
to further deepen our strategic and cooperative partnership,"
the spokesman said. PTI AKK
RDM


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