New Delhi, Jan. 4 : Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is expected to visit the United States next week and is likely to be India''s representative at Barack Obama''s inauguration on January 20.

Sources said thtat the details of the visit were finalized between Chidambaram and U. S. Ambassador to India David Mulford on Saturday.

With India taking its first step towards setting up a more robust intelligence and homeland security apparatus, Chidambaram''s trip to Washington is being seen as a follow-up to the visit by the US'' Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell.

During his visit, Chidambaram is expected to meet the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Meanwhile, the FBI has shared quite a bit of its own findings with regard to the November terror attacks on Mumbai with the the Indian Government.

Chidamabaram is expected to carry with him a fairly large dossier containing the Indian Government''s findings so far with regard to that incident , which claimed over 170 lives and maimed over 300.

India is keen that countries with close ties to Pakistan i. e. US, China and Saudi Arabia apply the required pressure on Islamabad to crackdown on terror and militant organisations operating from its soil. These three countries are presently loathe to do so, believing that they have done enough to convince Pakistan to act on the issue. (ANI)