India-US Strategic Dialogue on April 6

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Feb 16 (PTI) India and the US would hold thesecond round of their Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi on Aprilsix during which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would leadthe American side, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao hasannounced here.

"This time the meeting would take place in New Delhi onApril 6. Secretary Hillary Clinton would travel to India forthat meeting," Rao told reporters last evening at the end ofher three-day US visit.

Rao, who was basically here for foreign officeconsultations, discussed on a wide range of bilateral andregional issues, besides the developments in Egypt.

She had a lengthy meeting with Under Secretary of Statefor Political Affairs William Burns, besides having called onSecretary Clinton at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of theState Department.

Rao briefed the US officials on the recent Indo-Pak talksin Bhutan and New Delhi''s perspective on it.

Rao said she and Burns discussed the steps being taken bythe two nations on implementation of the decisions reachedduring the India visit of US President Barack Obama inNovember last year.

They also prepared the ground work for the secondStrategic Dialogue between the two countries.

"I had a very useful meeting with the Secretary of StateHillary Clinton," Rao said.

"This visit also afforded the opportunity to take stockof the regional and global situation. The situation in theregion has been an object of focus in our discussion,previously also with the United States," she said.