U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta who arrived here on Tuesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed bilateral relations, including issues relating to regional security and defence relationship between the U.S. and India, official sources said.
Mr. Panetta who began his two-day visit to India is learnt to have expressed the desire to resume the mission for recovery of U.S. military personnel died in air crashes in World War II in the North Eastern region of the country. The two leaders also discussed regional situation, including in Afghanistan and Asia Pacific region, the sources said.
The visiting U.S. Defence Secretary elaborated on the U.S. strategy of rebalancing towards Asia Pacific and the situation in the Middle-East, the sources added.
On his maiden visit to India as Defence Secretary, Mr. Panetta's visit is part of his nine-day Asia tour and comes close on the heels of his address at the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore, where he announced the U.S. strategy to increase its naval presence in Asia-Pacific region. He is also scheduled to meet Defence Minister A. K. Antony on Wednesday.
