Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri concludes visit to Washington DC to advance India-US COMPACT agenda

New Delhi, May 31: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri concluded a three-day official visit to Washington, D.C. from May 27 to 29, aimed at deepening India-U.S. strategic and economic cooperation across multiple sectors. The visit, accompanied by Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor, served as a crucial follow-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to the United States earlier this year, where both nations jointly launched the India-U.S. COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) framework.

During his stay, Foreign Secretary Misri held comprehensive discussions with senior officials from the U.S. Department of State, Department of Defence, National Security Council, Treasury, and Commerce. The engagements underscored a growing convergence between the two democracies on strategic priorities and a shared commitment to shaping a resilient partnership for the 21st century.

At a luncheon hosted by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral ties, identifying Technology, Trade, and Talent as the three key pillars driving the India-U.S. partnership forward.

In separate meetings with Deputy Secretary of Defence Steve Feinberg and Under Secretary for Policy Elbridge Colby, the focus was on strengthening defence cooperation through co-development and co-production initiatives, expanding joint military exercises, improving logistics and information-sharing frameworks, and enhancing operational interoperability.

Engagements at the Department of the Treasury with Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender centred on expanding bilateral economic ties, with particular attention to cooperation in global financial institutions and coordinated approaches in upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) deliberations.

At the Department of Commerce, discussions with Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler focused on progress under the India-U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement, collaboration in critical and emerging technologies, and the need to simplify regulatory mechanisms such as ITAR and export controls. Both sides agreed to convene the next Strategic Trade Dialogue at the earliest opportunity. Reflecting the vision of the COMPACT framework, inter-agency discussions also covered strategic initiatives including energy security, the TRUST initiative, counter-terrorism, and regional cooperation through mechanisms such as the Quad, I2U2, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC). Foreign Secretary Misri and DNSA Kapoor also co-chaired a roundtable with U.S. industry leaders focused on accelerating collaboration in next-generation technologies. Additionally, the delegation held extensive consultations with members of the U.S. strategic and think tank community to discuss the evolving contours of the India-U.S. partnership.