'Menon's visit kicks off intensification of Indo-US ties'

The Washington visit of National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon last week is seen as a kicked off event for next few months; wherein top officials of the two countries would be discussing on implementing the decisions taken during the November visit of President Barack Obama to India.

During his three day visit beginning January 27, Menon not only had the privilege of meeting Obama, wherein the latter reiterated his personal commitment to strategic partnership with India, but also had luncheon with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, besides having detailed meeting with his American counterpart Tom Donilon.

Menon's trip would be followed by the visit of Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to Washington on February 13 and 14, during which she would meet her American counterpart William Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and other top officials of the US Government.

"This would provide an opportunity to review in greater detail the bilateral aspect of India US relationship," an Indian diplomat said. And before Rao's US trip, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke would be leading a high-profile trade mission to three Indian cities – Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi.

In the first week of March, the Indian Defence Secretary would be coming to Washington for the Defence Policy Group meeting and from March 2nd to March 6th, the US Air Force Chief is scheduled to travel to India.

The Indian Army Chief is also scheduled to travel to the US from March 7 to 13, diplomatic sources said. The most important travel between the two countries would be that of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to India in the first week of April for the next round of Strategic Dialogue.

Leading a high-profile delegation of several Cabinet level ministers, she would co-chair the Strategic Dialogue with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna. In April, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is also schedule to visit Washington to attend the annual Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. But he would also be interacting with his US counterpart Timothy Geithner.

The same month, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano would also be travelling to India to launch the India-US Homeland Security Dialogue. This would be in addition to the ongoing co-operation between the two countries on counter-terrorism matters.