Indian Foreign Secretary Meets Top US Diplomats Ahead of Jaishankar’s Visit

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar is beginning his six-day visit to the USA today (December 24). This marks the first US visit from India since Donald Trump won the presidential election for a second term.

Ahead of the minister’s visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Deputy Secretary for Management Richard Verma at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department. The discussions covered a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues. As per media reports, India’s Ambassador to the U.S., Vinay Mohan Kwatra, was also present at the meetings.

Foreign Minister Jaishankar is scheduled to be in the USA from December 24-29. He will meet with his American counterparts to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues, an official statement said.

Deputy Secretary for Management (USA) Richard Verma told the media: “We look forward to continuing to grow #USIndia ties rooted in mutual trust, shared values, and prosperity for all.”

Mr. Verma hosted a group of eminent India think-tank experts along with officials from the administration, with Indian Ambassador Kwatra also present at the roundtable held at the Foggy Bottom headquarters. Mr. Verma described it as an effort "to celebrate our progress on trade, defence, people-to-people ties, and commitment to tackling global challenges together."

He also mentioned that the Biden-Harris administration appointed a record number of 130 Indian Americans to senior positions. Today, India is the top military exercise partner of the U.S., as Mr. Verma noted, adding that the U.S. is the largest source of remittances to India.

There are plans to open two Indian consulates in Los Angeles and Boston, while in India, the U.S. plans to open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

“The two-way trade between India and the U.S. has increased from $20 billion in 2000 to $195 billion in 2023, while defence trade has jumped from zero to $24 billion during the same period,” Mr. Verma said in a presentation on “US-India Relations: By the Numbers.”