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365px-Subrahmanyam_Jaishankar_2014About three weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra ModiâÂÂs planned visit to the U.S., Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar is wrapping up his two-day visit to Washington during which he held a series of meetings with top U.S. officials, discussing bilateral ties and cooperation against terror groups, mainly operating from Pakistani soil. Dr. Jaishankar has had a meeting with U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice. “”Rice and Jaishankar affirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation on climate change, trade and defence, and noted preparations for the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit,”” according to a White House statement by Ned Price, spokesman of National Security Council.

They also discussed US-India collaboration against Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and other terrorist threats,”” he said adding: “”Building on their leaders’ commitment to make the US- India partnership a defining relationship for the 21st Century, they agreed to deepen their already close collaboration on these issues.””

India and the US have discussed ongoing âÂÂcollaborationâ against Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and similar threats, and reviewed other aspects of the relationship. Sources in diplomatic circles felt that Washington realizes the growing threat from terrorism and it will continue to mount pressure on Islamabad to take credible action against terror groups operating from Pakistani soil. U.S. officials, including its ambassador in New Delhi Richard Verma, have stressed that the U.S.-India security relationship is of a fundamentally different nature than the U.S. cooperation with any other country in the region, including Pakistan. President Obama had called upon Pakistan to grab the opportunity to show that it was serious about delegitimizing, disrupting and dismantling terrorist networks.

India has also voiced its displeasures over the Obama administrationâÂÂs decision to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan on the ground that Islamabad needs the combat jets for counter-terrorism operations. With terror attacks by Pak-based terrorists like the one on an air base in border town of Pathankot, India is highly skeptical of PakistanâÂÂs intention. With mounting global pressure, Pakistan has of late shared intelligence inputs with India and also announced its decision to send its investigation team to Pathankot, a move not rebuffed by India. Though it is not on the cards, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif may have an encounter during the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in Washington DC. The NSS is likely to be attended by the leaders of about 50 countries. Mr. Modi will travel to Belgium, US and Saudi Arabia between March 30 and April 3. In Belgium, he will attend the India-EU Summit, then head to the US and on his return leg pay a visit to Saudi Arabia on April 2 and 3.”