Key Points
Vikram Misri extends official invitation to Christopher Landau
Discussion focuses on Indo-Pacific prosperity and defense cooperation
Both sides address illegal immigration concerns
US cancels 2000 bot-made visa appointments in India
Misri also extended an invitation to Deputy Secretary Landau to visit India at his earliest convenience.
"Congratulating Deputy Secretary Landau on his recent confirmation by the US Senate, the Foreign Secretary underlined the deepening convergence of India-U.S. strategic interests and the significance of the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
"The two also touched on the growing bilateral trade, defence and technology cooperation, and issues relating to mobility and migration. Both sides agreed to remain engaged on matters of mutual concern," MEA added.
Earlier, in a statement, US Department of State Spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that Landau spoke to Misri regarding ongoing efforts to achieve prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
The statement added that Landau thanked Misri for India's assistance in addressing illegal immigration to the US.
"Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau spoke today with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. They discussed ongoing efforts to reduce barriers to achieve a fair and balanced bilateral trade relationship, strengthen collaboration in defense and technology, and boost security and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific region," the statement read.
"The Deputy Secretary also thanked the Foreign Secretary for India's assistance addressing illegal immigration to the United States and asked the Government of India for continued cooperation on this issue," the statement added.
In a similar vein, the US Embassy in India recently announced the cancellation of about 2000 visa appointments that had been made by bots.
On Wednesday, the embassy reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards agents and fixers who violate visa scheduling policies.
In a post on X, the embassy said, "Consular Team India is canceling about 2000 visa appointments made by bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies."
Comments:
Rahul P.
Great to see our diplomats actively strengthening ties with the US. The strategic partnership is crucial for both countries' futures.
Priya K.
Interesting they discussed immigration - hope this leads to better visa processing for genuine applicants 🤞 The bot situation is getting out of hand!
Amit S.
While the diplomatic gestures are nice, I wish we'd see more concrete results from these high-level talks. Trade barriers remain a big issue.
Neha M.
The Indo-Pacific focus makes sense given China's growing influence. Stronger India-US defense cooperation could help maintain regional stability.
Sanjay V.
Good move inviting Landau - face-to-face meetings always achieve more than phone calls. Hope he accepts soon!
