India and the United States will discuss regional security issues during the June 4-7 visit of U.S. Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace, the highest ranking American military officer to visit here in three years.

Pace will arrive here from Singapore on a special U.S. Air Force jet, Indo-Asian News Service quoted an Indian defense ministry spokesman as saying Thursday.

His predecessor, Gen. (retd) Richard B. Myers, had visited India in July 2003.

During the visit, Pace will hold discussions with his host, Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash, chairman of the Indian chiefs of staff committee.

Thereafter, Lt. Gen. H.S. Lidder, chief of Indian Integrated Defence Staff, will brief Pace on "India's Security Perspective", following which U.S. officials will brief senior Indian officers on "Regional Security Perspective".

He will have meetings with Indian Army chief Gen. J.J. Singh and Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi.

A meeting with Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee has not been confirmed but Pace will call on National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan, said the spokesman.

Pace is the third senior US military officer to visit India this year after US Pacific Air Force Commander Gen. Paul Hester and US Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Gary Roughead.

India and the US had upgraded their defense ties in June 2005 by signing a 10-year agreement that envisages stepped up military cooperation in fields like missile defense, joint weapons production and technology transfer.

Source: Xinhua