EAM meets Trump NSA ahead of January 20 takeover

Ubeer Naqushbandi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 28

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar held a meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump’s NSA pick Mike Waltz in Washington on Friday. “Enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership as well as current global issues. Look forward to working with him,” he said after the meeting.

This comes after a series of meetings with US officials, including US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Following his meet with Blinken, the EAM said, “…reviewed the advancement of (India-US) partnership over the last four years. Agreed that our cooperation has strengthened in many domains, just as our comfort levels have grown correspondingly.”

India-US ties continue to grow as Washington has issued over 10 lakh visas to Indians this year. According to an official statement made by the US Embassy in New Delhi, it is for the second consecutive year that Washington has issued over 10 lakh visas to the Indians.

“…With over 1 million visas processed for the second consecutive year, 30% more tourist visas issued, over 331,000 Indian students studying in the US, and making H-1B renewals possible within the US, we’ve achieved some incredible milestones,” the statement read.