The first-ever India-US strategic dialogue at the ministerial level, to be held in Washington in the first week of June, is expected to be significant in more ways than one, coming as it will after the US held similar dialogues with Pakistan and China.
Direct Indian access to David Coleman Headley, a co-conspirator in the 26 November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, matters related to nuclear safety and working out the nitty-gritty of the Manmohan Singh - Barack Obama knowledge initiative between the American and Indian universities, will top the dialogue agenda. The decision to hold India-US strategic dialogue once annually in alternate capitals was taken during the visit here by US secretary of state Hillary Clinton in July 2009. To be chaired by S.M. Krishna and Ms Clinton, the dialogue will focus on a wide range of bilateral, global, and regional issues of shared interest and common concern, continuing programmes currently under implementation and taking mutually beneficial initiatives that complement Indian and US development, security and economic interests.
Union minister of state for science and technology Prithviraj Chavan, said in Mumbai that a high-power Indian delegation will accompany Mr Krishna to Washington. “[The delegation] consisting of five to six union ministers from India will meet a delegation of US Cabinet officers led by secretary of state Hillary Clinton for the furtherance of strategic dialogue on the deal signed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama,” Mr Chavan said, addressing scientists and technologists at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai on Saturday. The presence of several Indian ministers for talks in the US would be a rare occasion. Washington assured new Delhi that Indian investigators would get access to Headley to unravel the conspiracy behind the Mumbai attacks but the American process, which is different from India’s, is taking time. In April, Indian solicitor-general Gopal Subramaniam, had travelled to the US to discuss legal modalities. New Delhi wants to question Headley in a manner that his statement would be acceptable in a court of law here.