US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca arrived in New Delhi past midnight on a week-long visit for talks on a host of bilateral, regional and international issues, including the Iraq situation and the West Asia crisis.

Other subjects of mutual concern would also come up for  discussion, an American embassy spokesman said on Wednesday.

Rocca begins her engagements with a meeting with Joint Secretary in External Affairs Ministry (in-charge, Pakistan
affairs) Arun Singh which would be followed by interactions with Jayant Prasad (Americas).  She will also call on Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal.

Rocca's visit takes place at a time when the fate of the US draft resolution on Iraq at the UN is still uncertain amid indications that New Delhi is not inclined to send its troops to the war-ravaged country under the present dispensation.

"This is the latest of a series of meetings between officials of the two countries growing out of the 2001 agreement between President Bush and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to hold regular senior-level consultations,"  the spokesman said.

Observing that Rocca was in India for such a dialogue in September last year, he said on this trip, she had no plans of visiting any other country in South Asia.

Asked whether Rocca would press India to send troops to Iraq to participate in the stabilisation force, the spokesman said: "That is not the objective of the visit."

France and Germany have sought significant changes in the US draft resolution seeking establishment of a multinational force under American control in Iraq as the UN Security Council began discussions on it.

Apart from the two countries, India, Syria and Turkey - the only Arab member of the 15-member Council -
demand much greater role for the UN than envisaged in the American proposal even as Britain, Spain and Mexico support the resolution.

The developments in the Middle East peace process are also expected to figure in the parleys during the visit which coincides with the historic trip by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The latest round of violence in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and its impact on the peace process is also expected to come
up during the parleys.