New Delhi, December 23, 2024 — India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit the United States on an official tour from December 24 to 29, 2024. It will be the first high-level meeting India and the U.S. will have since the recent election victory of President-elect Donald Trump.
Program and Aims
During the visit, EAM Jaishankar will be conducting talks with American counterparts on a slew of bilateral, regional, and global issues. The subject of the talks, according to MEA, will be to cement the strategic partnership between the two countries while addressing areas of mutual interest and concern.
Besides his various diplomatic meetings, he would also chair a conference of India’s Consul Generals in the U.S., which is expected to focus on enhancement in the delivery of consular services, outreach to the Indian community, and safeguarding India’s interests within the U.S.
Importance of the Visit
The visit is significant in the sense that it is taking place just before Donald Trump’s induction ceremony. It gave the Indian government a chance to early contact with the incoming U.S. regime, even before the issues were put on the table for solving.
EAM is expected to set the tone for future meetings and alignments between the two countries.
Recent Comments and Background
At the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2024, Dr. Jaishankar noted that the elections “indicate that the American electorate is getting fed up with the consequences of globalization.”
Under Trump, he suggested, the U.S. may emerge with greater self-awareness about its economic and manufacturing sectors, given the intrinsic link between technology and national security.
The U.S. Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, also highlighted that there is a great opportunity for the India-U.S. partnership to thrive. He proposed to minimize barriers to tariffs, enhance trade equality, and focus on talent acquisition to cater to industry requirements in both countries.
Ambassador Garcetti emphasized building an infrastructure that would contribute to India’s growth ambitions while at the same time protecting patents-interest on behalf of American interests.
Anticipated discussions
Some key issues that EAM Jaishankar might want to discuss with U.S. official representatives are:
- Trade and Economic Partnership: Enhancing bilateral trade, addressing tariff issues, and looking into further mechanisms to expand cooperation in the economic landscape.
- Defense and Security: Exploring avenues to augment defense cooperation, enhance joint military exercises, and share counter-terrorism efforts.
- Technology and Innovation: Strengthening technology cooperation, joint work towards cybersecurity, and IP safeguarding.
- RegionalSecurity: Discussions on the geopolitical backdrop of the Indo-Pacific region and strategies for maintaining peace and stability therein.
- Global Challenges: Addressing climate change, public health issues, and other international concerns that require coordinated action.
EAM Jaishankar’s forthcoming visit to the United States is seen as an outreach by India to work with the incoming U.S. administration. This visit aims to address critical issues to sustain and strengthen bilateral ties between the countries.
