‘I’m not going to US with a shopping list’

Mukherjee is scheduled to meet US Vice-President Dick Cheney, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, and his counterpart, Donald Rumsfeld.

The visit comes in the backdrop of the US agreeing to cooperate with India on military hardware. However, Mukherjee said no decision (on purchase of Defence hardware) was expected during the visit. ‘‘The visit will be … to expand and widen relations between India and the US. It will be wrong to say I am going there to buy equipment,’’ he said.

The visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the US next month. In the run-up to the PM’s visit, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran have held intensive talks with their American interlocutors, to firm up the agenda.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has also held preparatory meetings in the Capital, while Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns met the Foreign Secretary.

About meetings between Indian and US officials today, sources said no decision had been taken on the purchase of F-16s. Only technological and commercial aspects of the aircraft were assessed, they added.

On purchase of P3C Orion surveillance aircraft for the Navy, officials said it was being examined, and added an agreement regarding research, development, testing and evaluation of Defence hardware could be reached during Pranab’s visit.

Asked whether having permanent Indian representatives in US Central and Pacific commands was under consideration, the officials said no decision had been taken yet. Mukherjee said the CCS discussed the Ministry’s reports on security in J-K, N-E and Naxalite-affected areas.