WASHINGTON: The US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman has begun a tour of both country as well as India and Saudi Arabia, the State Department said on Thursday.
It will be the first time that Grossman, who departed Washington on Wednesday, has travelled to India since he succeeded Richard Holbrooke, who died in December, the department said in a statement.
"In all of his meetings in the region, Ambassador Grossman will emphasize the US commitment to long-term, enduring partnerships with both Afghanistan and Pakistan," the department said.
"In Kabul and Islamabad, Ambassador Grossman will meet with senior government officials, parliamentarians, and representatives from civil society and local media," the department said. He will also meet in Pakistan with those who chair the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue working groups to discuss preparations for the next round of consultations, it said.
"In Riyadh, Ambassador Grossman will also meet with senior government officials," it said.
Gross' tour comes as President Barack Obama reshuffles his national security team by appointing CIA chief Leon Panetta as defence secretary, and General David Petraeus, commander of forces in Afghanistan, as CIA chief.
The US contingent who makes up two-thirds of the 140,000 member International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is due to begin drawing down this summer.
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