By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : President Barack Obama’s National Security Advisor Thomas E. Donilon will travel to India later this week to discuss ways “to advance key elements” of India-US strategic partnership.
Before reaching New Delhi, Donilon will visit Beijing Friday for meetings with Chinese leaders and policymakers, including Vice Premier Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo, the White House announced Tuesday.
In India, he will have meetings with Indian leaders including the National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon to “review recent developments in the US-India strategic partnership”, the White House said.
He would “discuss ways to advance key elements of the relationship, including both countries’ participation in the upcoming East Asia Summit”, it added.
“Donilon’s visit underscores this Administration’s commitment to growing US leadership in Asia, and our work with emerging powers, such as China and India, as a core component of this commitment,” the White House said.
The announcement gave no details of what Donilon’s meetings in China would cover except saying that they would “discuss a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual concern”.
Donilon’s visit to India comes at a time of increasing tension between the US and its key ally Pakistan amid accusations that its spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence supports Haqqani Network terror group to limit New Delhi’s influence in Afghanistan.
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at [email protected])