Washington: Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will visit the US early next week to hold discussions with Americans officials in the wake of 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) deciding to meet next month to consider a waiver for India to carry out nuclear commerce.

India's efforts to get a quick and clean exemption from the NSG for doing nuclear commerce did not materialise yesterday following reservations by some countries.

Menon, who will be here on Monday, is also expected to discuss current developments in Pakistan following President Pervez Musharraf's resignation as also the escalating violence in Kashmir during his meeting with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns.

According to sources, Menon's visit after NSG meeting is "purely coincidental" as this trip had been planned long back. "It is not just limited to the civilian nuclear initiative. Several other issues will be discussed including what is happening around India," the sources maintained, in an obvious reference to the goings on in Pakistan as also the escalating violence in Kashmir.

Source : PTI