American NSA Jake Sullivan arrives in India, meets Indian counterpart Ajit Doval
Jake Sullivan will make a two-day official visit to India from June 13 to 14.
New Delhi: US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday as the two countries seek a landmark defense deal ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to America, which begins June 21.
Jake Sullivan will make a two-day official visit to India from June 13 to 14. On Tuesday, he met with India’s National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval. He was accompanied by a delegation of senior US government officials and leaders.
The main focus of the US NSA visit would be on finalizing the details of the GE-414 engine deal, calibrating the position of the two countries on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and discussing sharing of technologies to counter cyber threats.
The above issues will most likely be discussed when Prime Minister Modi meets with US President Joe Biden on June 22.
The US and India are working to finalize the 100% transfer of technology for GE-414 jet engine production in India, with Sullivan overcoming resistance to the deal from the US State Department, reports say.
The GE-414 engines will power the Indian-made Tejas Mark II fighters, which will form the backbone of the Indian Air Force this decade. Since some parts of the GE-414 engine come from European countries, the US is trying to get all partners on board so that the engine is built in collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
“According to numerous reports, Sullivan, one of President Joe Biden’s top foreign policy advisers, is in India to finalize a major technology deal that will allow General Electric to partner with Indian airline HAL to produce jet engines in India” , says livemint.com adding: “The two countries are expected to announce the deal during Prime Minister Modi’s state visit to America. The deal includes technology transfers to India and may require US Congressional approval, according to media reports.
During the visit, NSA Sullivan will also meet with Secretary of State S. Jashankar and other government of India dignitaries.