New Delhi:Strategic talks between the US and India have begun in New Delhi with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton heading her delegation, news agencies reported on Tuesday.
Clinton is in India for a three-day visit to boost political and economic relations between the two countries.
She is also expected to travel to the Chennai, a hub for US investment.
The visit is her second as secretary of state and follows President Barack Obama’s last November.
Correspondents say Mrs Clinton’s visit will seek to expand cooperation between the two countries – from trade to educational exchanges.
Mrs Clinton reacted to the Mumbai blasts last week, saying it was “more important than ever that we stand with India”.
US officials and political analysts say that Mrs Clinton is also likely to press for better ties between India and Pakistan.
“She will encourage India to do all it can to engage Pakistan, to find areas where they might be able to break down some of their barriers and build some kind of confidence in each other,” Karl Inderfurth, a former senior State Department official, told Reuters news agency.
In June, the two countries agreed on improving access to each other’s markets – the US wants India to become one of its top 10 trading partners.
India is currently the US’s 12th largest trading partner, with bilateral trade of almost $50bn.
