Menon meets Clinton to prepare for strategic dialogue

WASHINGTON - National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon is here to review implementation of initiatives launched during President Barack Obama’s visit to India and prepare the ground for the India-US Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi in April.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who would lead a high level US team to the dialogue co-chaired by Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, met Menon over dinner Thursday.

“Our US-India Strategic Dialogue is premised on our strong support for India’s role as an important actor on the international stage,” State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley told reporters Thursday.

Menon is “here to review the implementation of initiatives launched during President Obama’s visit to India and discuss developments in our bilateral relationship in preparation for the upcoming Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi this spring,” he said

Menon is meeting Under Secretary of State for political Affairs, Bill Burns Friday for a detailed discussion. He will also be at the White House for a series of meetings hosted by Tom Donilon, the US national security advisor, Crowley said.

Clinton has said she looks forward to visiting India in April to advance the two nations’ efforts to forge an even stronger strategic partnership to promote a secure and stable world.

“Our people and governments are forging an even stronger strategic partnership to promote a secure and stable world, and support even greater cooperation on economic development, open government, and democratic values,” she said in a message greeting India on its 62nd Republic Day Wednesday.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)