India and the United States on Tuesday began talks on boosting security and economic ties as well as expediting the implementation of a civilian nuclear deal, dpa reported. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna led the talks at the Hyderabad House in the Indian capital New Delhi. The talks were the second round of the India-US strategic dialogue which opened in Washington last June. The dialogue was aimed at expanding cooperation in as many as 18 areas including trade and energy, but anti-terrorism cooperation figured high on the agenda after last week's blasts in Mumbai, which claimed 19 lives. Ahead of her India visit, Clinton condemned the attacks as "despicable" and reaffirmed her administration's "commitment to the shared struggle against terrorism." Discussions would also focus on the volatile security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
