US Central Intelligence Agency chief Leon Panetta on Saturday held talks with Indian officials in connection with regional security and the upcoming visit of President Barack Obama to India, news reports said, reported dpa.
Panetta who made an unscheduled visit to New Delhi, came from Islamabad where he held talks with Pakistani security officials, the IANS news agency reported, quoting official sources.
Panetta, accompanied by US envoy to India, Timothy Roemer, met Federal Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram.
He also met with Indian Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Mathur and India's external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing chief KC Verma.
The situation in Afghanistan after the elections and the threat from the Taliban to the South Asian region were discussed during the meetings, sources told the IANS.
The talks also covered Obama's scheduled visit to India in November.
The Indian side drew attention to the activities of Pakistani militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, which they blame for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The PTI news agency reported that Panetta's visit marked the first high-level visit by a US official since a team of India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) questioned David Headley - a US national who plotted the Mumbai attacks - in Chicago this May.
CIA chief in talks with Indian officials on security
US Central Intelligence Agency chief Leon Panetta on Saturday held talks with Indian officials in connection with regional security and the upcoming visit of President Barack Obama to India, news reports said, reported dpa
