New Delhi, July 14
The United States will brief India about the preliminary contacts it has established with the Taliban apart from discussing its draw-down strategy from Afghanistan during the second India-US strategic dialogue here on July 19.

Counter-terrorism and security issues will also figure prominently during the talks between the two sides in the wake of yesterday’s blasts in Mumbai.

Talking to reporters here today, US Charge d’affaires Peter Burleigh said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be arriving here on July 18 to co-chair the strategic dialogue with External Affairs Minister SM Krishna.

Asked if there was any change in Clinton’s schedule in the wake of the blasts, he said, “Her schedule is going to stay as it was planned… there is no change.’’

The acting American envoy made it clear that Washington was fully committed to implementing the Indo-US nuclear deal, including the 123 agreement and the nuclear waiver granted to India by the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group in September 2008. “We would like American companies to have contracts with India in the civil nuclear field like other countries.’’ His comment came when asked to respond to the recent
decision by the NSG not to grant access to enrichment and reprocessing technologies to countries outside the NPT regime.

On the Afghanistan issue, Burleigh acknowledged that his country had conducted ‘very preliminary’ discussions with the Taliban leadership on the reconciliation process. “It is an Afghan-led process. It has been a slow process but the US is continuing to explore whether it is possible to reach some kind of understanding with the Taliban leadership. New Delhi was being kept informed about the whole process,” he said.

On the draw-down of the NATO forces from the war-ravaged nation, he observed that India had some reservations, but added that the plan recently announced by President Barack Obama appeared quite acceptable to New Delhi.

He said the situation in Pakistan and US’ relations with that country would also figure during the dialogue. “The strategic dialogue has blossomed into a broad-based relationship. We are dealing with every conceivable aspect of the human endeavour from education to science, defence, counter-terrorism and health.”