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India and US ties have witnessed tensions recently over New Delhi’s relations with Moscow and its energy and defence partnership.
Donald Trump’s aide to visit India for IMEC Summit (Reuters Image)
Amid ongoing trade negotiations and the announcement of 25% tariffs on exports to the US, Donald Trump’s top advisor on South Asia – Ricky Gill – is expected to visit New Delhi for the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Summit.
The visit is on the cards despite recent tensions between the two countries over trade negotiations and Trump’s tirade over New Delhi’s energy and defence ties with Moscow.
Gill, who is serving as the Special Assistant to Trump for National Security Affairs and the US National Security Council’s Senior Director for South and Central Asiais set to meet top Indian officials and representatives from several European countries, Hindustan Times reported.
He has been invited by India’s National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) to hold discussions on the future of the delayed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.
The NSC, operating from the White House, plays a key role in shaping and coordinating US military, economic, and diplomatic strategies across various government departments and agencies.
Gill is a veteran who worked during the first Trump administration. He served in the National Security Council, handling Russia and European energy issues. He has also served in the State Department.
New Delhi will host the IMEC Summit on August 5 and 6, when top officials from the European and Middle Eastern countries will participate.
IMEC was launched on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in India in September 2023 and is an economic and trade corridor linking India to Europe through the Middle East.
India, the United States, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, and Italy were the main signatories of the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that officially launched the IMEC.
Efforts to operationalise the IMEC connectivity corridors have faced significant setbacks following the outbreak of conflict in West Asia after the October 7 attacks in Israel.
“It has definitely been a source of concern for us, and the kind of expectation we had when the agreement was signed in September, we have had to adjust it a bit,” EAM Jaishankar had said last year.
Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes…Read More
Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes… Read More
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