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Foreign Secretary Misri to start US visit today; trade, defence, tech on agenda
The Ministry of External Affairs said the visit will provide an opportunity to review the full spectrum of India–US bilateral relations and advance ongoing cooperation across key areas.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri (File photo).
Amid signs of the conflict in West Asia escalating, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will visit Washington DC from April 8 to 10 and meet senior US officials in the Donald Trump administration.
The visit takes place at a time when the US President issued a direct threat on Tuesday, about 12 hours ahead of his deadline, for Iran to agree to a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that Foreign Secretary Misri’s visit will “provide an opportunity to review the full spectrum of India–US bilateral relations and advance ongoing cooperation across key areas”.
During the visit, Misri will hold “discussions with senior officials of the US administration on a wide range of issues, including trade, defence, science and technology, as well as regional and global developments of mutual interest”.
It may be noted that India has been in touch with all the stakeholders in the Gulf and West Asia region, including Iran and other countries. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has spoken to foreign ministers of Iran and other Gulf countries, as well as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Misri’s trip follows Jaishankar’s visit to Washington D.C. in February 2026 and is in keeping with the “regular high-level exchanges between the two sides”, MEA said.
On December 9 last year, Misri had met the visiting US Undersecretary of State Allison Hooker in Delhi and had discussed key bilateral issues, including trade and investment, defence cooperation, the TRUST initiative, energy cooperation, technology and supply chains among other issues.
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India and the US have decided to conclude a trade pact in early February, after months of strained ties and imposition of 50% tariffs by the Trump administration.
The ties have now stabilised to some extent after a rocky year which saw tariffs being imposed and Operation Sindoor.
US Ambassador Sergio Gor is also in the US, and has met Vice President J D Vance, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, FBI Director Kash Patel and Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra. He is also scheduled to meet President Trump for dinner on Tuesday.
This appears to be an attempt to keep the political and strategic ties on track, even as the two sides are finalising the bilateral trade deal.
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