US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives in New Delhi on a less than 24-hour visit, on March 15. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shakes hands with a an Indian officer who greets her at the airport. This is Rice's first visit to India and the region and the first by a member of US President George W. Bush's cabinet in his second term. (Xinhua Photo)

    NEW DELHI, March 15 (Xinhuanet) -- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived here Tuesday on a less than 24-hour visit,during which she will hold talks with External Affairs Minister K.Natwar Singh on bilateral, regional and international issues, Indo-Asian News Service reported.

    This is Rice's first visit to India and the region and the first by a member of US President George W. Bush's cabinet in his second term.

    Rice has chosen New Delhi for her first stop of her six-nation Asia tour that will also take her to Pakistan, Afghanistan, China,Japan and South Korea.

    Her official engagements are all slated for Wednesday, when shewill hold delegation-level talks with Natwar Singh, call on IndianPrime Minister Manmohan Singh before leaving for Pakistan late afternoon.

    Indian officials said further expansion of bilateral cooperation in technology, economy and security and the regional situation, including the situation in Nepal, Bangladesh and the India-Pakistan dialogue, would figure in the talks.

    The two sides are also expected to discuss developments in Iraqand assess their ongoing cooperation in Afghanistan.

    Officials said Rice's visit precedes those by US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, Treasury Secretary John Snow and perhaps President Bush himself later in the year. Enditem