US National Security Adviser in New Delhi for security talks on iCET initiative
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in New Delhi on Monday and discussed various bilateral, regional and global issues.
Jaishankar expressed confidence that the strategic partnership between India and the US will continue to advance strongly in the near term.
Sullivan arrived in New Delhi for the second meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
It is the first visit of a senior US official after the Modi government came to power for the third term.
Sullivan was scheduled to visit India earlier in February but due to other pressing commitments in the US, the annual review meeting was rescheduled for June 17-18.
People familiar with the developments told ANI that Sullivan, along with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, and other top officials, will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. US NSA Sullivan is also scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.
This meeting will be followed by a joint statement between the two nations underscoring the progress made and the importance of the iCET mechanism for the two countries. Sullivan and Doval are also expected to discuss the situation in West Asia during their bilateral talks.
While speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Ukraine peace summit hosted by Switzerland, Sullivan said on Sunday said that he would be travelling directly from Switzerland to India for the second meeting of the iCET initiative.
On June 14, PM Narendra Modi met US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy and said India and the US will keep "working together to further global good."
Earlier, on June 6, Biden and PM Modi discussed Sullivan's upcoming visit to India during a call made by the US President Biden to congratulate PM Modi on his electoral win in the Lok Sabha polls.
"President Joe Biden, spoke today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to congratulate him and the National Democratic Alliance on their historic victory in India's general election," the White House statement said.
Both leaders stressed their commitment to deepening the US-India Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership and to advancing their shared vision of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
The White House statement reads, "The two leaders also discussed National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's upcoming travel to New Delhi to engage the new government on shared U.S.-India priorities, including the trusted, strategic technology partnership."
(ANI)