India, Us Preparing To Finalize Strategic Partnership Framework

American and Indian top officials, in coming days, are hoping tofinalize a framework for the expanding strategic dialogue of the twodemocracies. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh heads to the United Stateson Saturday for an "official state" visit. The five-day visit willcome at a time when law enforcement and intelligence officials of bothcountries are holding intensive discussions on counter-terrorism.

Amida growing security partnership, U.S. officials say President BarackObama is to inform Prime Minister Singh about his decision on a U.S.troop surge for Afghanistan.

India is anxious about theworsening Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, fearing that could makeneighbor and long-time rival Pakistan even more unstable.

Ambassador Timothy Roemer during news conference at US Embassy-New Delhi, 18 Nov 2009U.S.Ambassador Timothy Roemer, speaking at a news conference at theAmerican Embassy Wednesday predicted Mr. Obama and Mr. Singh will havea "hearty and robust" discussion on regional strategy for Afghanistanand Pakistan.

In the wake of the landmark civil nuclear dealsigned during the second Bush administration, Indian and Americanofficials have been working on building a closer defense relationship.The United States has been pressing India for several years to sign adefense logistics support agreement that would make it easier to holdmore joint military exercises, work together on regional maritimesecurity and to sell vital equipment to Indian forces.

Also onthe agenda during talks between the two leaders will be enhancedcounterterrorism cooperation in hopes of preventing a similar attacklike the one a year ago in Mumbai.

For days, the headline newshere has been the role two men arrested last month in Chicago may haveplayed in planning that attack, in which more than 160 people died.

TheU.S. Ambassador declined to discuss how Washington would react to anyextradition request by New Delhi for the suspects but he does sayinvestigators are in constant contact.

"We have been workinghand-to-hand, shoulder-to-shoulder, hour-by-hour in cooperating andsharing information with India's government on a daily, weekly andmonthly basis," Ambassador Roemer said.

U.S. officials aredeclining to confirm or deny that while Mr. Singh heads to Washington,CIA director Leon Panetta will be making a return three-day visit here.Indian reports say he will discuss the international investigationlooking into the links between the Pakistani terror outfitLashkar-e-Taiba and the two arrested Chicago suspects, David ColemanHeadley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana.

Embassy officials, however,adamantly deny that any top FBI officials are to arrive here this week,as has also been reported by Indian media outlets.

Besidesanti-terrorism and defense cooperation, Roemer says President Obama andPrime Minister Singh will also discuss expanding a partnership onclimate change mitigation, educational programs and alleviatingpoverty.

The United States is hoping to signal how highly itvalues the burgeoning relationship by making Prime Minister Singh thefirst visiting leader to receive full honors from the Obamaadministration.
 
It is being billed as an "official state visit"although India's President Pratibha Patil is the mostly ceremonial headof state.