US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who arrived in New Delhi on Monday, on a three-day visit is expected to discuss a wide range of issues, including strategic cooperation and counter-terrorism.
The two countries are also expected to sign two pacts in areas of cyber security and civil aviation, said officials. Clinton,who is accompanied by a 25-member delegation drawn from various departments of the US administration, will also hold second strategic dialogue that expected to be dominated by counter-terror cooperation, civil nuclear cooperation and shared concerns over Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Two agreements, including a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), will be also be signed on the visit.
This would open up enormous opportunities for export of aeronautical products manufactured in India to the US and other regions of the world, according to J Randolph Babbitt, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Speaking at a luncheon meeting organised by the American Chamber of Commerce along with members of the Aviation Cooperation Program (ACP) on Monday in Delhi, Babbitt said more players from the US and India would be brought together under the initiatives of the bilateral agreement, which would create a win-win situation for corporations.
This is Clinton?s second visit to the country after she became the US secretary of state. It follows President Barack Obama?s visit last November. The visiting envoy will also go to Chennai, the hub of high-value American investments.
Clinton will co-chair the second strategic dialogue with external affairs minister S M Krishna on Tuesday, followed by a call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and meeting with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
India is also expected to seek a fresh assurance from the US that the new guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which deny access to enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technologies to countries that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), will not impinge on Washington?s commitment to implement full civilian nuclear cooperation with India.
The Indian delegation which will participate in the discussions will include Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, adviser to the Prime Minister Sam Pitroda, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao, foreign secretary-designate Ranjan Mathai, the secretaries of home, commerce and environment ministries and Intelligence Bureau director Nehchal Sandhu.
Top US counter-terrorism officials, including US director of national intelligence James R Clapper and deputy secretary at the Department of Homeland Security Jane Holl Lute, are among those accompanying Clinton to India.