New Delhi: In a major diplomatic push, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri engaged in high-level discussions in Washington, DC, from May 27 to 29, aimed at significantly deepening economic, financial, and strategic ties with the United States.
A key focus of his visit included bolstering collaboration within international financial institutions and coordinating efforts for the upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) processes. This is particularly crucial as India seeks to re-list Pakistan on the global terror financing watchdog’s grey list during the June FATF meeting, a matter Misri specifically discussed with Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.
Misri’s visit served as a direct follow-up to Prime Minister Modi’s February trip, which saw the launch of the India-US COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century.
Reflecting this broader vision, meetings with Deputy Secretary of Defence Steve Feinberg and Under Secretary for Policy Elbridge Colby reaffirmed a commitment to a robust and forward-looking defence partnership. Discussions spanned critical areas such as co-production and co-development initiatives, sustained joint military exercises, enhanced logistics and information-sharing frameworks, and boosting interoperability between the armed forces.
At a luncheon with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, the full spectrum of the bilateral agenda was reviewed, with both sides underscoring “Technology, Trade, and Talent” as the pivotal pillars shaping the 21st-century India-US partnership.
Progress on the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement was assessed, alongside cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, and the vital need to streamline ITAR and export control regulations. Misri also met with Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler, where the agreement was reached to convene the next India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue swiftly.
Accompanied by Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor, Misri also chaired a roundtable with industry representatives focused on tech collaboration and held substantive interactions with think tank communities, covering the breadth of the strategic partnership.
