India has conveyed its concerns to the US over the H1B visa fee hike and exchanged views on issues like UNSC expansion and nuclear liability bill during foreign secretary Nirupama Rao’s talks with top American officials focusing on President Barack Obama’s November visit to the country.
Ms Rao’s meetings with secretary of state Hillary Clinton, national security adviser Gen. James Jones (Retd) and other key officials of the Obama Administration here on Friday “laid the foundation” of a successful presidential visit to India in early November, the White House said.
After her meeting with Gen. Jones at the White House, National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said that “both agreed that the vast range of cooperation between us would set the foundation for a successful presidential visit and further our strategic partnership.”
Noting that the Rao-Jones meeting was held to continue preparations for the US President’s upcoming visit to India in early November, Mr Hammer said, “In addition, Gen. Jones and Ms Rao discussed other developments in the South Asia region, noting our mutual desire for stability.”
Besides driving down to the White House for her meeting with Gen. Jones, Ms Rao spent most of her day on Friday at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the state department, where she had a series of meetings on issues ranging from the bilateral ties, situation in the region, India’s role at the global level to the expansion of the UN Security Council.
However, all these meetings were focused on the early November visit of Mr Obama to India.