iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Washington D.C. and discussed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework alongside high technology cooperation between the two countries.
The talks between the two lawmakers also covered resilient supply chains, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, high technology cooperation, semiconductors and business promotion. The Indian EAM arrived in the U.S. capital on Sunday, September 29.
In a tweet on Tuesday, October 1, Jaishankar wrote, “Great to see Commerce Secretary @SecRaimondo today in Washington DC. We discussed semiconductors, iCET, critical minerals, trusted partnerships and supply chain resiliency. Value the strides we are making in our tech collaboration and economic partnership.”
This marks the first visit of the Indian EAM the U.S. capital since the Modi government was re-elected for a third consecutive term earlier this year.
This meeting comes a day before Jaishankar’s meeting with his American counterpart Antony Blinken on Tuesday.
Jaishankar and Raimondo also discussed the U.S.-India CEO Forum and U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue, two Department of Commerce and Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry-led initiatives that aim to strengthen the U.S.-India trade and investment relationship, said a press statement released by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Both the Ministers also commended the progress made till now under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and reiterated their shared commitment to continuing to advance the work to operationalize the IPEF agreements, the statement added.
The External Affairs Minister concluded the high-level United Nations General Assembly debate in New York on Saturday, September 28. Jaishankar was in New York from September 18 to 24.
IPEF, a group of 13 countries, is a multilateral economic framework. Since its launch in May 2022, IPEF countries have engaged in intensive discussions to scope out each pillar of the framework.
The IPEF was launched jointly by the U.S. and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo.
During his stay, in addition to his meeting with Blinken on Tuesday, Jaishankar will also engage with other high-ranking officials from the U.S. administration, as well as members of the Cabinet.
His itinerary includes an interaction with the think-tank community, notably a session hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), where he will discuss the future of U.S.-India relations.
The CEIP, a globally recognised non-partisan think-tank with a focus on international affairs, operates across various regions, including Europe, South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, and the U.S.
Jaishankar will join CEIP President Mariano Florentino Cuellar in a conversation focused on the evolving strategic partnership between the U.S. and India.
