US Delegation Visit to India, Maldives - a US Embassy in Malé
US Visit to India, Maldives
Diplomats of the United States (US) are currently visiting India to discuss India-US bilateral issues and energy cooperation, along with a discussion regarding possible dates for the 2024 Quad Summit that New Delhi is hosting.
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will lead a US delegation for participation at the India-US Forum to engage with Indian government officials and members of the private sector, academia, and media to discuss and enhance opportunities between the two countries.
The delegation will also travel to Maldives, where advancing US-Maldives cooperation is on the cards, including establishing a permanent US Embassy in Malé.
Earlier this month, Maldives also saw a visit by the US INDOPACOM Commander, Adm. John C. Aquilino. The US presented a package of grant-funded equipment to the Maldives Defence Forces to enhance the country’s safety and capabilities during maritime security and counterterrorism operations. Adm. Aquilino engaged with the Minister of Defence Ghassan Maumoon and Chief of Defence Lt. Gen. Abdul Raheem, emphasising joint efforts in countering transnational threats and expanding domestic maritime security.
Big Picture:
The US’ engagement with the Maldives can be seen as an effort to bolster the US’ standing in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), a focus for the Biden administration. Nilanthi Samaranayake, an expert at the United States Institute of Peace, argues that US policymakers should track developments in the Maldives-India relationship in light of the US strategy to support India’s regional leadership. In this vein, also read how the China-India-Maldives dynamic is rapidly changing.
What we’re reading this week
A piece on the expansion of Japan-India engagement amid strategic challenges by Indian Ambassador to Japan, Sibi George
See Takshashila’s All Things Policy podcast on greater Quad-ASEAN cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, where Bharat Sharma hosts Blake Berger, Associate Director at the Asia Society Policy Institute. The podcast discusses areas of cooperation between the Quad and ASEAN, especially maritime security, infrastructure, and private-sector partnerships
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s remarks on India-US ties at the 7th India-US Forum held this week