New Delhi, Sept 07: With the fate of the US draft resolution on Iraq at the UN still uncertain, American Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca begins a week-long trip to India from September 9 amid indications that New Delhi is not inclined to send its troops to the war-ravaged country under the present circumstances. Rocca would meet senior Indian officials for discussions on a host of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual concern.

"This is the latest of the series of meetings between officials of the two countries growing out of the 2001 agreement between President Bush and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to hold regular senior level consultations," a US Embassy spokesman here said.

Observing that Rocca was in India for such a dialogue in September last year, he said on this trip, she had no plans of visiting any other country in South Asia.
Asked whether Rocca would press India to send troops to Iraq to participate in the stabilisation force, the spokesman said "that is not the objective of the visit". He, however, added that the Iraq situation is expected to figure in the parleys.
Bureau Report