IN THE first high-level political visit since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday met his counterpart, the visiting US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, and discussed the “situation in Ukraine”, a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said. Called the Foreign Office consultations, the MEA said this provided a “valuable opportunity” to discuss contemporary regional issues pertaining to South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region, West Asia, and the situation in Ukraine, among others. “Foreign Secretary Shringla and Under Secretary of State Nuland agreed to maintain regular dialogue and consultations on regional issues,” the MEA said. Nuland is a highly experienced diplomat and was Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs (2013-2017), US State Department spokesperson (2011-2013) and US ambassador to NATO (2005-2008). Nuland was the lead US point person for establishing loan guarantees to Ukraine, including a $1 billion loan guarantee in 2014, and the provisions of non-lethal assistance to the Ukrainian military and border guard. While serving as the Department of State's lead diplomat on the Ukraine crisis, Nuland pushed European allies to take a harder line on Russian expansionism. This is the first high-level political visit from Washington since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Her visit comes at a time when Washington has been asking India to take a tougher line with Russia. As she and Shringla co-chaired the India-US Foreign Office Consultations on Monday, they reviewed progress in various domains under the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership following up on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s discussions with US President Joe Biden in Washington DC in September 2021. “Both sides welcomed regular high-level dialogue and engagement, including productive meetings of bilateral mechanisms which led to intensifying of cooperation across all pillars of the bilateral agenda,” the MEA statement said. “Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Following up on the Quad Leaders’ Meetings, they expressed a keen desire to quickly implement the Quad’s positive and constructive agenda to deliver for countries in the Indo-Pacific region,” it said. Given their shared democratic values and convergences of strategic interests, Shringla and Nuland agreed to work together to strengthen the India-US global partnership regarding supply chains, critical technologies, health security, climate actions & clean energy and terrorism, it said. The statement said they noted the close cooperation between their two delegations at the UN Security Council, where India is currently a non-permanent member, and reiterated their desire to intensify cooperation in multilateral fora and international organisations, including the UN. “Both sides looked forward to the India-U.S. 2+2 Ministerial Meeting in Washington D.C. They agreed to hold the next FOC at a mutually convenient date in Washington DC,” the statement said.
