Top US diplomat to travel to India next week

Nisha Desai Biswal, the Obama administration's point person for South and Central Asia, will travel to India next week to hold talks with officials of the new government on a series of bilateral and regional issues.

Nisha Desai Biswal, the Obama administration's point person for South and Central Asia, will travel to India next week to hold talks with officials of the new government on a series of bilateral and regional issues.

Biswal, the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, would be in New Delhi from June 6 to 9, the State Department said yesterday.

This would be the first visit of a top American diplomat to India after Narendra Modi was sworn in as the country's Prime Minister this week.

During her visit, the State Department said, Biswal will meet with a range of officials in the new Government to review the full scope of bilateral and regional issues.

"This will be the first visit to India by a senior State Department official since India's national elections this spring. While in New Delhi, Assistant Secretary Biswal will also meet with key strategic thinkers and business leaders," the State Department said.

Biswal would reach New Delhi from Beijing, where she is expected to be present from June 4-6.

During her Beijing stay, Biswal would meet a range of Chinese government officials to engage in regional consultations, including economic engagement and connectivity.

While in Beijing Biswal will also meet with scholars and think tank representatives to discuss opportunities for regional trade linkages along the New Silk Road and the Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor, the statement said.

She will start her travel from Dushanbe, Tajikistan on June 2-3 to lead the US delegation to the third session of the US-Tajikistan Annual Bilateral Consultations.

In Dushanbe, she will meet with senior Tajikistani officials and political leaders, civil society and youth representatives, and officials from international organizations.