EAM Jaishankar meets U.S. officers, lawmakers in Washington

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has had a busy day and a half in Washington DC, the place he met authorities officers, together with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) ambassador Katherine Tai, lawmakers, and the personal sector.

Mr. Jaishankar, who’s on his first go to to the U.S. in the course of the Biden administration, met with Mr. Sullivan on Thursday. Both sides indicated that there was a dialogue on regional (Indo-Pacific) or world points, with Mr Jaishankar specifying, through a tweet, that Afghanistan got here up.

“Conveyed appreciation for US solidarity in addressing the Covid challenge. India-US vaccine partnership can make a real difference,” the tweet stated.

The U.S. readout stated Mr. Jaishankar and Mr. Sullivan “welcomed” cooperation that has resulted in the supply of over $ 500 million in reduction supplies (state, federal and personal sector sources) from the U.S. to India.

“They agreed that people-to-people ties and shared values are the foundation of the U.S.-India strategic partnership that is helping to end the pandemic, supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, and providing global leadership on climate change,” it stated.

Mr. Jaishankar stated he had “good discussions” with Ms. Tai, who not too long ago introduced that the Biden administration would assist an India-South Africa initiative on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to waive mental property protections for COVID-19 vaccines.

“Our trade, technology & business cooperation are at the core of our strategic partnership. Enhancing them is vital to post-Covid economic recovery. Welcomed her positive stance on IPR issues & support for efficient & robust supply chains,” Mr. Jaishankar stated on Twitter.

The Puucho had reported that procuring vaccines and checking out points round this, resembling early Emergency Use Authorisation and legal responsibility are central to Mr. Jaishankar’s journey agenda, although officers have been eager to emphasize that this isn’t the main target of the go to and that discussions would cowl a extra complete listing of matters pertinent to the strategic relationship between the 2 international locations.

Mr. Jaishankar had breakfast and lunch conferences on Thursday organised by advocacy and trade teams, the U.S. India Business Council (USIBC) and the U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).

The USIBC assembly included a dialogue on how the personal sector, working through a consortium of 40 corporations known as the ‘Global Task Force for Pandemic Response’, may “support India’s health infrastructure and further ways to continue relief efforts,” stated Priyanka Sethi, a spokesperson for the group.

Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson – each corporations that manufacture COVID-19 vaccines of curiosity to India – are a part of the Task Force. The group has despatched 1,000 ventilators, 4,850 oxygen concentrators to India and convened the chief HR officers of near 200 corporations to assist their staff and their households, Ms Sethi stated.

Representatives of pharmaceutical agency Abbot and courier and transport agency FedEx had been among the many corporations current on the USISPF assembly, trade sources instructed The Puucho.

Mr. Jaishankar additionally spoke on the cellphone with the (Democratic) Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks and its rating member (Republican) Michael McCaul. He additionally had a cellphone name with House India Co-Chairs Steve Chabot (Republican).

Brad Sherman, the opposite co-chair, was amongst these current at a dinner for Mr. Jaishankar on Wednesday, on the home of Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Others current there included Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Michael Bennet from Colorado and Jon Ossoff, the brand new Senator from Georgia.

On Friday, the Minister is scheduled to satisfy with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken who has been on a visit to Egypt and West Asia since Monday.

According to sources, the high-level ( Minister degree) conferences with the Treasury, Commerce and Energy Departments, US Agency for International Aid (USAID) and the National Science Foundation are more likely to happen throughout Mr Jaishankar’s go to to Washington.