India, US strategic dialogue tomorrow

India and the US are set to hold their first Strategic Dialogue here tomorrow during which the two sides are expected to discuss the Afghanistan-Pakistan situation and bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation.

External affairs minister SM Krishna, who arrived here last 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 UK Bansal, environment secretary Vijai Sharma and Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar. 

The Strategic Dialogue would formally open tomorrow 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 tomorrow'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 yesterday, 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.