Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishri held a meeting with top American diplomats

Vikram Mishri, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs. File | Photo credit: Ap

Ahead of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to the United States, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishri on Monday (December 24, 2024) held meetings with top US diplomats on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues.

Mr. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit the United States from December 24-29, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced a day earlier.

During the visit, Mr Jaishankar will meet his US counterparts and discuss key bilateral, regional and global issues, an official statement said.

On the eve of Mr. Jaishankar’s visit, Mr. Mishri met with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Deputy Secretary for Management Richard Verma at the State Department’s Foggy Bottom headquarters on Monday.

Indian Ambassador to America Vinay Mohan Kwatra also participated in the meeting.

“We look forward to continuing #USIndia relations based on mutual trust, shared values ​​and prosperity for all,” Mr Verma said.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Verma hosted a group of prominent Indian think-tank experts along with administration officials. Kwatra was also present at the round-the-clock meeting at Foggy Bottom’s headquarters.

It was to “celebrate our progress in trade, defence, people-to-people relations, and commitment to face global challenges together”, Mr Verma said.

In a presentation on “US-India Relations: By the Numbers”, Mr Verma said that bilateral trade between India and the US has increased from US$ 20 billion in 2000 to US$ 195 billion in 2023, while defense trade has increased from 2023. Zero to US$24 billion during the same period.

Two-way trade is expected to reach US$200 billion by 2024, he added.

The number of Indian students in the US has grown from just 54,664 in 2000 to 330,000 in 2023, while the population of the Indian diaspora now stands at over 5 million, up from 1.9 million in 2000.

Mr Verma said the Biden-Harris administration had appointed a record number of 130 Indian Americans to senior positions. India is today America’s top military exercise partner, he noted, adding that America is the largest source of remittances to India.

A fifth of US-based unicorns are founders or co-founders of Indian immigrants.

There are plans to open two Indian consulates in Los Angeles and Boston, while the US plans to open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, he said.