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Josy Joseph in New Delhi
Defence Minister George Fernandes will leave for the United States on Tuesday evening to hold talks with Bush administration officials. He would be accompanied by an eight-member delegation.
Fernandes is slated to meet Defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and other senior Pentagon officials. "There could be other meetings as well. The final programme is being worked out by the Indian embassy in Washington," a Ministry of Defence spokesman told rediff.com
Fernandes had said on Monday that he would have "wide-ranging discussions with policymakers and senior government officials on matters relating to defence cooperation and also issues of immediate concern in the subcontinent".
Pointing out that military-to-military ties between the two countries have seen considerable expansion, he said the December meeting of the Defence Policy Group and the forthcoming Executive Steering Groups' meetings are "set to further strengthen in scope and content".
Fernandes said the two countries are "now striving to be partners for ensuring peace, stability, security and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region".
Defence Secretary Yogendra Narain, two additional secretaries, Vice Admiral S Gopalachary, Major General S C Chopra and other officials will accompany the defence minister.
Noticeably, there is no one from the Defence Research and Development Organisation, which is seeking to establish relations with US institutes on hi-tech defence products.
There are also reports that India will discuss with the US the purchase of Phalcon airborne early warning systems from Israel. Reports say that the US has opposed the sale of Phalcons to India.
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