India-US Strategic Dialogue begins in Washington on Wednesday. According to official sources, Afghanistan related matters would be one of the key issues of discussion when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds talks with the Indian-delegation led by the External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.

The United States and India share a commitment to Afghanistan's stable and prosperous future and have each signed Strategic Partnership Agreements with the Afghan government.

India has committed more than 2 billion US Dollars in assistance since 2001, and is helping reconstruct Afghanistan's Parliament building, equip the Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital, and train students for different vocations.

Ahead of the dialogue the US Assistant Secretary of State, Robert Blake said in Washington that the dialogue has brought the two countries into much closer strategic convergence on a range important issues and has helped improve trade and business relationship.

He said with the growing bipartisan support for expanding the bilateral relations the two countries will work together more closely in the years to come.