US Assistant Secy coming to India next week

PTI Updated - September 09, 2011 at 09:49 AM.

Robert Blake, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, will visit India next week to hold a wide range of bilateral and regional discussions with top Indian officials.

Mr Blake would also travel to Sri Lanka, State Department spokesperson, Ms Victoria Nuland, told reporters.

“In India, Assistant Secretary Blake will meet with the Government of India and have internal consultations with the staff at the Embassy,” Ms Nuland said, adding, “He leaves on September 12, returning on the 16th.”

“In Sri Lanka, he intends to meet with Government officials, civil society representatives, university students, and political leaders,” she said, adding that this trip had to cancelled earlier because of hurricane Irene.

His visit to Sri Lanka came weeks after the US warned Colombo that an international inquiry could be launched against it if it did not take adequate steps for a credible probe into charges of humanitarian crimes during the LTTE war.

Published on September 9, 2011 04:14