FS Vikram Misri in US, Discusses Strengthening Strategic Tech Ties and Trade Dialogue

Washington: Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with US Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler on Wednesday (India time) in Washington to discuss convening the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue at the earliest and deepening cooperation in critical and emerging technologies.

The meeting marked a key step in enhancing high-level engagement between New Delhi and Washington on strategic and technological issues.

The discussions focused on strengthening existing frameworks and accelerating progress on vital tech and trade initiatives between the two nations.

In a post on social media platform X, the Indian Embassy in Washington said, “Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler to advance India-US cooperation in critical & emerging technologies. They also discussed early convening of the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue to deepen tech & trade collaboration.”

Misri is currently on a three-day visit to the United States, where he is scheduled to meet senior officials of the Trump administration.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), this visit is a follow-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official trip to the US in February 2025. That visit saw the launch of the ‘India-US COMPACT — Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology’, a new framework aimed at expanding strategic collaboration in key areas for the 21st century.

During the February visit, PM Modi and President Donald Trump jointly unveiled the ‘US-India COMPACT for the 21st Century’, intended to drive progress in military, commercial, and technological sectors.

It was Modi’s first official visit to the US since President Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025. He was one of the first world leaders to be hosted by the new administration, just three weeks after Trump took office.

Misri’s visit also comes against the backdrop of President Trump’s recent claims that his administration played a role in brokering the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan earlier this month.

However, Indian officials have repeatedly emphasized that the ceasefire was initiated due to Pakistan’s urgent appeals following sustained and precise Indian military strikes on Pakistani air bases during Operation Sindoor.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also clarified last week that while the US did reach out to India between May 7 and 10, it was not the only nation to do so during the tense period.

With inputs from IANS