United States Vice President JD Vance was received with a ceremonial Guard of Honour upon arrival at Palam airport on Sunday, marking the commencement of his first official visit to India. Vance, accompanied by his wife Usha Vance and their children, was welcomed by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Vice President Vance is on a four-day official visit from 21 to 24 April, during which he is scheduled to hold high-level talks with Indian leaders and travel to Jaipur and Agra.
His visit follows a recent trip to Italy, where he held meetings with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis.
Ahead of Vance’s arrival, hoardings were placed near Palam airport to welcome the visiting dignitary. His key engagement will be a formal meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday at 6.30 pm at the latter’s official residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.
The two leaders are expected to discuss economic, trade, and defence cooperation as part of the broader Indo-US strategic partnership.
Speaking at a media briefing last week, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasised the significance of the visit.
“We have a comprehensive strategic global partnership; when you have that level of partnership with any country, obviously, you will discuss all relevant issues,” he said.
Jaiswal also expressed optimism about the outcomes of the talks. “Of course our relationship is such that we are doing anything that is part of our human endeavour from part of our bilateral engagement ... so all these bilateral issues will be discussed and we are very positive that the visit will give a further boost to our bilateral ties,” he stated.
The spokesperson further acknowledged ongoing discussions toward a bilateral trade agreement, saying, “We are talking to the US side so that a bilateral trade agreement can be done.”
After completing his engagements in Delhi, Vice President Vance will proceed to Jaipur on Tuesday and then to Agra on Wednesday. He is scheduled to depart from India on Thursday morning at 6.40 am.
Prior to arriving in India, Vance and his family visited Italy over the Easter weekend. During the three-day visit, he held bilateral meetings in Rome and attended religious services, including a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State.
The Vice President concluded his Italian tour with an audience with Pope Francis on Easter Sunday.
Also read: JD Vance's 1st India visit begins today, trade tops agenda
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