US Admiral to visit India on Thursday

New Delhi, May 13 (PTI) Admiral Timothy J Keating, the US
Pacific Command chief, will be in India on a day-long visit
Thursday to discuss issues concerning the South Asian region
in the wake of the Taliban crisis in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Admiral Keating's visit comes just before he hands over
command to his successor Admiral Robert Willard, who was
named to the post by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates soon
after Barack Obama took office as the President.

The US Admiral, during his stay in the capital, would
meet his Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta and share notes on
the security concerns of the region, Navy sources said here
Wednesday.

Keating heads the US forces in the Asia-Pacific region
comprising nearly 2.5 lakh troops and five aircraft carrier
strike groups.

India and the US have just completed their annual Malabar
series of Naval exercises, which is normally a bilateral event
but included Japan this time around. They were held between
April 29 and May 3.

The visit also gains significance, as US has been asking
India to sign three bilateral deals including Logistics
Support Agreement, which would ensure free access to US
warships and aircraft to India air and sea ports for
refuelling and replenishment of supplies. PTI