(a) whether a meeting of the National Security Advisors of the USA and India was recently held for fostering closer service to service cooperation and relations between Indian and US armed forces; and
(b) if so, the details thereof and the outcome thereof alongwith the course of action charted out therein?
MINISTER OF DEFENCE (SHRI GEORGE FERNANDES)
(a) & (b): The US National Security Advisor Mr. Sandy Berger had a meeting with Shri Brajesh Mishra, Principal Secretary to PM and National Security Advisor of India on the forenoon of March 21, 2000, to discuss bilateral and regional issues of common interest, in preparation to the meeting between the Prime Minister of India and President Clinton, later the same day. There was no specific discussion of defence related issues during the meeting.