Holbrooke to visit India next week

Close on the heels of President Barack Obama unveiling a new strategy on Afghanistan-Pakistan, US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke will undertake a visit in New Delhi next week to discuss how India could help in efforts to end terror threat emanating from there.

Close on the heels of President Barack Obama unveiling a new strategy on Afghanistan-Pakistan, US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke will undertake a visit in New Delhi next week to discuss how India could help in efforts to end terror threat emanating from there.

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Holbrooke, Special Envoy for Afghanistan-Pakistan, is expected to be in New Delhi on April 7, sources said in New Delhi on Sunday.

He will meet Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and National Security Adviser M K Narayanan to discuss on ways in which India could cooperate in US efforts to "defeat" terrorism originating from Pakistan and Afghanistan, the sources said.

The visit will take place in the backdrop of a new Afghan-Pakistan strategy unveiled by Obama on Friday.

He talked about involvement of India besides other countries of the region, saying they do not benefit from the "base for Al-Qaeda terrorists and a region that descends into chaos" and have a "stake in the promise of lasting peace and security and development."

Obama said the US would work to create new diplomatic mechanisms, including establishing a 'Contact Group' and a regional security and economic cooperation forum.