Hillary Clinton likely to visit India

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton is likely to undertake a visit here in July, marking
possibly the first trip of a top-ranking Obama Administration
official during the second tenure of UPA government.

Exact dates for the trip are being worked out and would
be firmed up after the new External Affairs Minister takes
over, sources said.

The visit would be crucial for discussing the future of
bilateral relations which have already witnessed a significant
improvement over the last five few years as was reflected by
the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

The visit will also provide an opportunity to the two
sides to exchange views on Pakistan and Afghanistan, which are
the sources of international terrorism.

India has been pressing the US to push Pakistan to ensure
that it acts against terrorism in a concrete manner so as to
eliminate the threat to the world.

New Delhi would be utilising the visit to impress upon
Washington the need to ensure that Pakistan takes credible and
transparent action against terrorist groups, like
Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, which pose direct threat
to India.

New Delhi is opposed to any financial aid to Islamabad,
saying it amounts to giving "liquor to an alcoholic". PTI