HOME MINISTER'S RESPONSE TO USG LETTER REQUESTING

UNCLAS NEW DELHI 001459 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK IN SUBJECT: HOME MINISTER'S RESPONSE TO USG LETTER REQUESTING COUNTERTERRORISM COOPERATION ¶1. (U) Indian Minister of Home Affairs P. Chidambaram on July 6 responded to Charge Burleigh's May 26 letter regarding increased counterterrorism (CT) cooperation between our countries. The full text of the letter is below: Thank you very much for your letter dated 26 May 2009 congratulating me on my re-election to the Lok Sabha and appointment as Minister of Home Affairs. I appreciate the offer made for expanded cooperation on counter terrorism at strategic levels as well as at the local level. While all the potential areas of the expanded cooperation indicated by you would be useful, I suggest that in the first phase we may focus on counter terrorism training, border security, economic and other offenses. I am asking the officials concerned in the MHA to get in touch with you and work out the specific details of the cooperation. I would be happy to visit the National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC) in Virginia and look forward to a mutually agreed date for the visit. As you are aware, we are also setting up a National Counter Terrorism Training Centre and this would be an excellent opportunity for us to learn from your experience. End text. ¶2. (U) Embassy New Delhi has been in contact with Minister Chidambaram's office about a proposed date for the visit and will also continue to follow up to determine the possibilities for specific further cooperation. BURLEIGH