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    May 06, 2012

Clinton Arrives in India For Talks

   VOA News
   US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton waves upon arrival in
   Kolkata, India, Sunday, May 6, 2012. Photo: AP

   U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in India where she will urge
   New Delhi to reduce the oil it imports from sanctions-hit Iran.
   Clinton arrived in Kolkata Sunday after visits to Bangladesh and China.
   She will head to New Delhi Monday to meet with top government
   officials.
   India has made some reductions in its dependence on Iranian oil, but
   the South Asian nation has enormous energy needs stemming from its
   rapid growth. India is strongly critical of a U.S. law to impose
   sanctions on banks from countries that buy oil from Iran. The U.S. and
   Western countries are penalizing Iran for its nuclear ambitions.
   Clinton's Indian visit coincides with a visit from a large Iranian
   trade delegation.
   Earlier Sunday in Bangladesh, Clinton told an audience at a public
   question-and-answer session in Dhaka that she supports the work of
   Grameen Bank and its founder, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. Clinton
   said she does not want to see Yunus' work undermined by the Bangladeshi
   government.
   Clinton held a private meeting Sunday with Yunus, who was ousted as
   managing director of the pioneering micro-lender Grameen Bank last year
   in a retirement-age dispute. Yunus is 71.
   On Saturday, the top U.S. diplomat met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister
   Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia.
   Bangladeshi officials have said they want to encourage more investment
   from the United States and would like to gain greater access to U.S.
   markets. Clinton said for that to happen, Bangladesh must set aside its
   internal bickering, and end the related violence.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.