NSA Ajit Doval, US counterpart talk critical tech cooperation
Sandeep Dikshit
New Delhi, June 17
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval today met his US counterpart Jake Sullivan to hold the first-ever review of the progress in joint work on critical technologies. The meeting took place against the backdrop of political discord between the two sides after India stayed away from a West-quarterbacked communique on Ukraine at a peace summit. A couple of days earlier, an Indian was extradited from Czech Republic to a Brooklyn jail for his alleged involvement in a plan to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
First annual review of iCET
- Doval’s first engagement with the Americans under Modi 3.0 comes amidst discord over Pannun, Ukraine issues
- The NSAs discussed bilateral issues and reviewed the India-US partnership on regional and global issues of mutual interest
- They also chaired the first annual review of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET)
This was Doval’s first engagement with the Americans after taking over as the NSA for the third time and demonstrates his usefulness for Modi 3.0 despite an assassination in Canada that is unravelling with the arrest of four Indians and the extradition to US of Nikhil Gupta, allegedly the linkman between RAW officials and assassins hired to kill Pannun in New York.
“The current visit continues their high-level engagement on the robust and multi-faceted agenda of the India-US global strategic partnership,” said the MEA that did not mention any specific issue in this regard.
The MEA said the NSAs discussed bilateral issues and reviewed the India-US partnership on regional and global issues of mutual interest. They also chaired the first annual review of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) with an inter-departmental delegation from both countries. On Tuesday, the NSAs will address an iCET roundtable with industry CEOs. In the latter half of Modi 2.0, India had focussed substantially on the acquisition of critical technologies that will drive the economies of tomorrow. The issue was at the top of the agenda in PM Modi’s meetings with leaders of France, the UK and Germany during his first visit overseas to Italy last week after taking over as PM for the third time. The iCET was launched just over two years ago by PM Modi and US President Joe Biden.
