Joe Biden to hold talks with Indian leaders on economic ties, defence, energy

US Vice President Joe Biden, who is on a four day visit to India, will call on Indian leaders and hold bilateral discussions here today.

Discussions are expected to focus on four key areas - trade, energy and climate, defence and regional cooperation.

Biden will begin his official meetings with his counterpart Vice President Hamid Ansari.

He will call on President Pranab Mukherjee and meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders to discuss the India-US engagement on a broad array of issues.

He will also address staff at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.

Biden would spend the next two days - July 24 and 25 - in Mumbai, where he would meet business leaders and deliver a policy speech at the Bombay Stock Exchange.

He then leaves for Singapore for the final leg of his nearly week-long trip.

"This trip will be an important opportunity to strengthen our partnerships within the region and reaffirm our commitment to re-balancing US foreign policy towards the Asia-Pacific," the White House had said earlier before Biden's departure for India.

His visit to India is expected to lay the ground work for a visit to the United States of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September-October, during which he is expected to hold meetings with President Barack Obama.