U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs arrives in India day after Putins visit

A day after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, started her five-day India visit on Sunday. The visit will cover New Delhi and Bengaluru and include meetings between Alison Hooker and senior Indian officials, including Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

“Under Secretary Hooker’s visit will focus on advancing the U.S.-India strategic partnership, deepening economic and commercial ties including increasing American exports, and fostering collaboration in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and space exploration,” said the Department of State in an announcement.

During her stay in New Delhi, Under Secretary Hooker will participate in the Foreign Office Consultations with Foreign Secretary Misri. Her discussion will include regional security, economic cooperation and “shared priorities” in the Indo-Pacific, said the official announcement. Ms. Hooker took charge as the Undersecretary of State earlier this year and ever since has held a number of meetings with officials from the region. India was supposed to host the Quad summit in 2025 but the summit meeting has not been scheduled so far and there is no official information about it.

In Bengaluru, Ms. Hooker will pay a visit to Indian Space Research Organisation and meet leading figures from India’s space, energy and technology sectors with the goal to “promote innovation in U.S.-India research partnership and explore opportunities for expanded cooperation,” the official announcement said. The Foreign Office Consultation comes against the backdrop of continuation of the penalty tariffs by the U.S. on India that targeted India because of its purchase of Russian crude oil. Latest reports suggest that India has made considerable reduction in purchase of Russian energy though relation with Russia remains on track with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 5 describing the bilateral relationship as important as the “Pole Star” (Dhruva Tara).