US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is today in India, marking the first visit of a senior American official since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government returned for a third term. Jake Sullivan is in Delhi for the second meeting of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
The iCET is a collaborative effort between the US and India aimed at enhancing cooperation in technology fields. Jake Sullivan’s visit was initially scheduled for February this year but was postponed due to other commitments in the US. Consequently, the annual iCET meeting was rescheduled for June 17 and 18.
Accompanying Jake Sullivan are Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and other top officials. They are set to meet with PM Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, according to news agency ANI. Jake Sullivan will also meet his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval. The meeting is expected to culminate in a joint statement highlighting the progress made by the two nations and the significance of the iCET mechanisms for both countries. Additionally, the officials are likely to discuss the situation in West Asia during their bilateral talks.
On Sunday, while at Burgenstock, Switzerland, for the Ukraine Peace Summit, Jake Sullivan announced that he would be traveling directly from the European nation to India for the iCET.
Earlier this month, Jake Sullivan’s visit to India was a topic of discussion during a call between US President Joe Biden and PM Modi, in which Biden congratulated Modi on his electoral victory. Both leaders emphasized their commitment to deepening the US-India Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership and advancing their shared vision of a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, according to a White House statement.
