Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who reached India late in the evening today said that the US is not in any way exerting pressure on India to hold talks with Pakistan.

Hillary’s statement is apparently meant to clear any suspicions in India that Washington is pressuring New Delhi to hold dialogue with Pakistan and also give Islamabad some time in tackling anti-India elements operating from within its borders.

Hillary is on a five-day visit to India

during which the two countries will launch a new chapter in

their strategic partnership and deepen their engagement.

The former US first lady, Clinton, on her first visit to

India as US`s chief diplomat will be spending the night at the

Tower Wing of the Taj Hotel in an act of solidarity with the

victims of the Mumbai terror attack on November 26 last.

Clinton flew in shortly after 10 PM from Prague where her

special aircraft had a refuelling halt after the flight from

Washington. It is her first foreign trip since she broke an

elbow.

A thick blanket of security was thrown around the Colaba

area of south Mumbai where the Taj hotel is located and

hundreds of security personnel were deployed to provide cover

for the visiting US dignitary.

Clinton will be meeting top Indian business leaders,

visiting a centre of the Self-Employed Women`s Association

(SEWA) and paying tributes to martyrs` of the 26/11 attacks

during her stay in the city.

She is expected to leave for New Delhi on Sunday.

In the Capital, Clinton will meet Prime Minister Manmohan

Singh and hold talks with External Affairs Minister S M

Krishna. She will also meet UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and

Leader of the Opposition L K Advani.

She is also due to

deliver a lecture at the Delhi university.

Clinton`s aircraft landed at Mumbai at 10:20 pm, a senior

official said.

She was received at the airport by Maharashtra government

Chief of Protocol S Mulick and deputy chief of Protocol

S Bijoor.

Ahead of her visit, Hillary said President Barack

Obama`s administration was "going to do everything we can to

broaden and deepen our engagement" with the UPA government.

Clinton had also said, "we are starting a strategic

dialogue between myself and the new Minister of External

Affairs(S M Krishna)."

Bilateral cooperation in civil nuclear field, defence

and trade and investment are expected to figure prominently in

the talks Clinton will have with Indian leaders. The two sides

would also focus on terrorism, particularly that emanating

from Pakistan, climate change, global economic crisis.

In the civil nuclear field, the two sides would discuss

ways to implement the landmark agreement. The two sides are in

negotiations for setting up of two nuclear plants in India.

Krishna and Clinton are also expected to discuss the End

User Verification agreement in defence field, under which the

US would be able to supply sensitive military equipment.

The two sides are also expected to discuss ways to step

up military cooperation, including joint exercises as well as

the global economic crisis and cooperative ways to deal with

the problem.

Clinton`s visit to Mumbai comes nine years after her

husband, former president Bill, and their daughter, Chelsea,

visited the metropolis.

From New Delhi, Clinton heads to Thailand to lead the US

delegation at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

(ASEAN) talks.