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Jaishankar holds talks with US NSA, trade representative
The White House National Security Council said in a statement the two leaders agreed that the two countries “should continue working closely together to address common challenges throughout the Indo-Pacific region”
External affairs minister S Jaishankar held a wide range of discussions with top officials of the Biden administration including National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, US trade representative Katherine Tai and top spy Avril Haines, and members of Congress and business leaders on Thursday, in the first such expansive in-person engagement between the two governments.
The minister said in a tweet, which is deemed as the official statement from the ministry, that he and Sullivan discussed the Indo-Pacific region, which is a core areas of cooperation for the two nations bilaterally and multilaterally with their Quad partners Australia and Japan; and Afghanistan, which is one of a few areas of dissonance because of India’s unease over US plans to withdraw all its troops from there by September 11.
The White House National Security Council said in a statement the two leaders agreed that the two countries “should continue working closely together to address common challenges throughout the Indo-Pacific region”. They also greed that “people-to-people ties, and shared values are the foundation” of the strategic partnership that is “helping to end the pandemic, supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, and providing global leadership on climate change”.
India and the United States are collaborating along with Quad partners Australia and Japan to produce more than 1 billion Covid-19 vaccines for distribution among Indo-Pacific countries, as part of an initiative they announced after their first summit level meeting, held virtually in March.
Jaishankar also “conveyed appreciation” to Sullivan for US “solidarity” in addressing India’s Covid-19 challenge. Sullivan noted that the United States, together with private sector companies and private individuals, had sent $500 million worth of relief to India, which has included oxygen supplies needed direly to hep India tide over a crippling shortage, therapeutics such as Remdesivir and personal protective equipment.
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Jaishankar also thanked US Trade Representative Tai at their meeting for her “positive stance”, he said in a tweet, on “IPR issues & support for effective & robust supply chains”.
America’s support for India and South Africa’s proposal at the WTO to temporarily waive intellectual property rights to Covid-19 vaccines to ensure their equitable distribution around the world, which she announced earlier this month, reversing Trump administration’s opposition, has paved the way for other opponents to fall in line as well.
“Our trade, technology & business cooperation are at the core of our strategic partnership. Enhancing them is vital to post-Covid economic recovery.” Jaishankar wrote in the tweet.
Trade is a the single most contentious issue in the bilateral relationship. And it has defied resolution across governments in India and the United States. Tai and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal have had some initial discussions, but they haven’t really had a crack at some of the key issues.
The external affairs minister also met the Director of National Intelligence, who is the top US spy with oversight over 16 intelligences agencies, including the CIA. “Glad to meet DNI Avril Haines,” he wrote on Twitter. “Look forward to working closely together to address contemporary security challenges and advance our strategic partnership.”
Jaishankar met US business leaders as well, in two separate batches. He met first representatives of the US-Indian Business Council (better known by its acronym USIBC), an arm of the US chamber of commerce, which is one of the most powerful lobbying group in the US. He then met members of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), rival body that is backed by most major US investors in India and the Modi government.
The minister, who was once ambassador to the US and knows personally most of the key players, also met key lawmakers — Gregory Meeks and Michael McCaul, the chair and ranking member respectively of the powerful House Foreign Relations Committee, which controls US spending abroad.
“Discussed developments pertaining to Quad and our cooperation on vaccines,” Jaishankar tweeted, adding, “Recognize their leadership in building stronger ties.”
India enjoys strong bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, home to US Congress, and the Indian side wanted the minister to meet as many lawmakers as possible, but they were constrained because most of them were out of town for a major American holiday, Memorial Day.
Jaishankar was still able to catch the co-chairs of the House India Caucus, which is touted as the largest country-specific group. “The US Congress has been a tremendous pillar of support as India meets the Covid challenge,” he said of his meeting with the India Caucus co-chairs.
