By Arun Kumar,
Washington, Sep 22 (IANS) The renewed architecture of India-US bilateral dialogue and preparations for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s state visit to the US in November were the focus of a day of hectic diplomacy by Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao.
Rao Monday met Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg and her counterpart, Under Secretary for Political Affairs William J. Burns, at the State Department before returning to New York to participate in the UN general assembly session.
Other topics covered at Rao’s parleys at the State Department included green technology, energy education and counter-terrorism.
Manmohan Singh, who is coming to the US Thursday for the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, would be making a state visit to the US on Nov 24. He would be the first foreign leader to be hosted by President Barack Obama for a state visit.
Rao is set to meet Burns again later this week in New York. She would also meet Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, in New York.
External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna will be meeting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the sidelines of the UN general assembly session.