India, US Strategic Dialogue on Thursday

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Jun 2 (PTI) India and the US are set to hold
their first Strategic Dialogue here on Thursday during which
the two sides are expected to discuss the Af-Pak situation and
bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation.
India's External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, who
arrived here Tuesday night for the Strategic Dialogue with his
US counterpart Hillary Clinton, is leading a high-power
delegation including HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Deputy Chairman
of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Minister of
State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chauhan and
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao.
Other members of the delegation are Special Secretary for
Internal Security U K Bansal, Environment Secretary Vijai
Sharma and Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar.
The Strategic Dialogue would formally open on Thursday
with a joint meeting at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the
State Department, co-chaired by Krishna and Secretary of State
Clinton.
The issues that are expected to come up include
Afghanistan-Pakistan situation, India's role in Afghanistan
and counter-terrorism cooperation between the two sides.
Ahead of the Krishna-Clinton talks, Under Secretary of
State for Political Affairs William Burns and Foreign
Secretary Nirupama Rao would hold the foreign policy meeting
at the State Department which, the officials said, would set
the tone for Thursday's dialogue.
In his first public engagement here, Krishna would
deliver the keynote address to the 35th anniversary event of
the US-India Business Council - the apex business body of
American corporate world doing business in India, reflecting
the significance attached to the US business community and
their role in US-India relationship.
Separately, USAID Administrator Raj Shah and Under
Secretary for Management Robert D Hormats would hold the
Indo-US Agriculture Dialogue with Ahluwalia.
Sibal, who already had a series of meetings here
Tuesday, would continue his discussions with US officials.
Hours ahead of Krishna's arrival here, Burns said the
Strategic Dialogue has elevated India to the rank of America's
top global partners.
"Our Strategic Dialogue this week elevates India to the
rank of our most important global partners, allowing us to
discuss and coordinate policies of global importance,
including on the future shape of the international economic
system and on what we can do together to promote human
development in other parts of the world," he said at the
Council on Foreign Relations - a Washington-based think tank.
PTI LKJ