NEW DELHI, Sept 24: US Assistant Secretary of State, Christina Rocca, arrived here on Tuesday, a US embassy spokesperson said.
Rocca’s visit coincided with the second phase of provincial elections in Kashmir on Tuesday, but Indian and US officials said the timing was coincidental.
The US official, who is on a four-day visit to New Delhi, will be meeting senior Indian officials for talks on a number of bilateral issues over the next few days, an Indian foreign ministry official told AFP.
The Indian official pointed out that Rocca’s visit to India was announced by US Secretary of State Colin Powell during his trip to South Asia in July.
“The aim of Ms Rocca’s visit as announced by Secretary Powell is for a regional dialogue,” the official said.
During Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit to New York this month, the importance of the India-US bilateral relationship was underscored once again, the official said.
“(Rocca’s) visit has to be seen in that context,” the official added.
Another Indian source however said the polls in Kashmir, India’s relations with Pakistan and the issue of cross-border infiltration were likely to figure in talks.—AFP
