Pompeo Meets Modi, Jaishankar to Discuss India-US Relationship

His visit comes ahead of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Japan later this week.

New Delhi: While India and US agreed on the need to “try harder” to resolve knotty issues on trade, Secretary of state Pompeo also emphasised about a “shared understanding” in deterring “terror regime” of Iran, after external affairs minister S. Jaishankar articulated that “common concern” of both countries was to secure undisrupted oil supply lines in the volatile region.

As Jaishankar noted several times, Pompeo is the first foreign minister to be hosted in Delhi after the re-election of Narendra Modi. The senior US administration official called on Prime Minister Modi and met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Jaishankar and Pompeo held formal talks for about an hour, which spilled into a working lunch. This was the first ever encounter between the two ministers.

“Welcoming a close friend. Continuing the emphasis on high-level Indo-US exchanges, EAM Dr S Jaishankar warm-heartedly welcomed Secretary Pompeo as the first US dignitary visiting India after elections. Secretary Pompeo is the first foreign minister to be hosted by EAM,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted along with a picture of the two leaders.

Pompeo, who arrived on Tuesday night, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the morning and discussed various aspects of the bilateral relationship.

“Working together to further deepen our strategic partnership. Secretary Pompeo called on PM Narendra Modi to exchange views on various aspects of Indo-US relationship. PM will meet President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the upcoming G20 Osaka Summit,” Kumar tweeted with pictures of the Modi-Pompeo meeting.

The US secretary of state’s talks with the Indian leadership are the first high-level interaction between the two countries after the return of the Modi government to power last month.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar. Photo: Twitter/Raveesh Kumar

Pompeo’s visit comes ahead of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, later this week.

Ahead of the strategically-important India-US talks, diplomatic sources on Tuesday said India meets the US waiver criteria for procuring the S-400 missile defence system from sanctions-hit Russia, and asserted that New Delhi cannot “wish away” its defence ties with Moscow.

India’s missile defence system deal with Russia, terrorism, H-1B visas, trade and the situation arising out of US sanctions on buying oil from Iran, were likely discussed during the talks.

At a press meeting, Jaishankar confirmed that the sanctions on Iran were discussed.

Pompeo described Iran as the “largest state sponsor of terror” while sitting next to Jaishankar, who had met with Iranian foreign minister Javed Zarif at the CICA summit in Tajikistan earlier this month.

He said:

“We also know that Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror and we know how the Indian people have suffered from terror around the world. So, I think there is a shared understanding of threat and a common purpose to ensure that we can keep energy at the right prices and deter this threat. Not only the threat in the narrow confines of the middle-east, but the threat that this terror regime poses to the entire world.”

Jaishankar noted the need to take a “constructive and pragmatic” view of trade.