Visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh here on Tuesday for strategic talks to bolster trade and diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Biden and Dr. Singh were expected to discuss a raft of issues. These range from U.S. concerns over trade restrictions by New Delhi to Indian concerns over H1 visas for its software engineers.
Biden, who arrived here on Monday on a four-day visit to India, earlier today met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, here.
The visiting U.S. Vice President also met his Indian counterpart Mohammad Hamid Ansari today during which the two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest and exchanged views on the issues of international and regional importance.
Biden will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee and other leaders to discuss the India-US engagement on a broad array of issues.
He will also address staff at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.
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Biden would spend the next two days - July 24 and 25 - in Mumbai, where he would meet business leaders and deliver a policy speech at the Bombay Stock Exchange.
He then leaves for Singapore for the final leg of his nearly week-long trip.
"This trip will be an important opportunity to strengthen our partnerships within the region and reaffirm our commitment to re-balancing US foreign policy towards the Asia-Pacific," the White House had said earlier before Biden's departure for India.
His visit to India is expected to lay the ground work for a visit to the United States of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September-October, during which he is expected to hold meetings with President Barack Obama.