The visiting US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta today met the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon in New Delhi. The Ongoing defence co-operation and regional security situation is believed to have figured prominently during the discussion.

They are also believed to have discussed a range of issues relating to the strategic partnership as also military trade between the two countries. Mr. Panetta reached New Delhi this evening on a two-day visit.

He will meet Defence Minister A.K. Antony tomorrow. Mr. Panetta will lay a wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti and will be presented a tri-Services Guard of Honour at South Block tomorrow morning. He is to deliver a lecture on 'Indo-US Defence Relations' at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

This will be followed by an interactive session and will be his only public event in New Delhi. Mr. Antony will also host a dinner in honour of the visiting dignitary. Our correspondent reports , this is Mr.Panetta's first visit to India since assuming office last summer and is the last leg of a nine-day swing through Asia.