New Delhi: Days before President-Elect Donald Trump all set to take oath on January 20, outgoing US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is scheduled to visit India on a two-day visit starting today. During his visit, Sullivan will meet his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval and other senior officials.
The US NSA is expected to several issues related to bilateral as well as global issues. The focus of discussions will also be on important ongoing initiatives. Stating his visit, the White House said that the NSAs meeting will “span a range of issues across the breadth of our partnership with India, from space, defence, and strategic technology cooperation, all the way also to shared security priorities in the Indo-Pacific and beyond”.
Sullivan to leave office this month
Sullivan will leave his office later this month. After the new administration takes over in the US, he will be succeeded by Michael Waltz. During his visit, the US NSA will also give a speech at IIT-Delhi, news agency PTI reported.
Importantly, during their meeting, Doval and Sullivan will discuss and review progress made in India and US ties in the last four years after President Joe Biden’s administration took over. Their discussions may also include civil nuclear partnerships, among others. “Another issue to be discussed is unlocking funding for the US-India Research and Development partnerships under the university-based local challenges institute,” PTI quoted an official as saying.
Both sides may discuss China, among other issues
Both sides may also discuss China’s growing influence in the region. Speaking to Reuters, an official added, “We have certainly seen in many places in the Indo-Pacific that upstream dams that the Chinese have created, including in the Mekong region, can have potentially damaging environmental but also climate impacts on downstream countries.”
