US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will meet Opposition leader Sonia Gandhi on Saturday in Delhi, where he will arrive on Friday evening after a series of meetings with top Pakistani leaders in Islamabad.

American Ambassador Robert Blackwill called on Sonia on Monday to prepare the ground for the meeting.

Sonia's Congress paty had criticised the American attack on Iraq vociferously both inside and outside Parliament.

In preparation for the meeting with Armitage, Sonia has been briefed extensively by her advisors on foreign affairs. One such brain-storming session was held on Monday afternoon.

Apart from senior Congress leaders, the session was attended by retired foreign service officers like M K Rasgotra, former foreign secretary.

According to a source, there were three main items on the agenda:

a) Should India join the multi-national stabilisation force for Iraq, which the US is trying to set up under its initiative without involving the UN?

b) What should be the role of India in the reconstruction of Iraq?

c) What effect the Indian role in reconstruction of Iraq under US leadership would have on the country's relations with Iran and the Arab countries?

The brain-storming session also discussed the implications of the ongoing India-Pakistan peace initiatives. The subject is expected to figure prominently in Armitage's discussions with Sonia.

Armitage is expected to brief  Sonia on his discussions with the Pakistani leaders in Islamabd and seek her support for the resumption of the Indo-Pak dialogue.