Washington DC [US], May 31 (HBTV): Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held a series of high-level engagements with senior US officials during his visit to Washington, DC from May 27–29, 2025, to advance the India-US COMPACT agenda and strengthen bilateral cooperation across strategic sectors.

Misri met Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender, where the two sides discussed deepening economic and financial ties, including collaboration in international financial institutions and coordination in the upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) processes.

‘With Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, the Foreign Secretary discussed ways to deepen economic and financial ties, including collaboration in international financial institutions and coordination in the upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) processes,’ a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

According to sources, India is preparing a detailed dossier for the FATF outlining evidence on terror financing and money laundering activities linked to certain individuals and entities. The dossier is aimed at urging FATF action and could lead to Pakistan being returned to the grey list. India's findings will reportedly highlight violations of international anti-terror financing norms.

During his visit, Misri engaged in inter-agency discussions related to the India-US COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century.

‘During his visit, Misri held wide-ranging discussions with counterparts across the Department of State, National Security Council, Department of Defense, Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Commerce,’ the MEA statement added.

In a luncheon meeting with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, both sides reviewed the full spectrum of the bilateral agenda and underscored that technology, trade, and talent would be the key pillars shaping the India-US partnership in the 21st century.

Defence cooperation was another key focus area. Misri held meetings with Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg and Under Secretary for Policy Elbridge Colby. Discussions covered co-production and co-development initiatives, joint military exercises, logistics and information-sharing frameworks, and enhanced interoperability between the armed forces.

In the economic domain, Misri met Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler to review progress on the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement. The two sides also discussed cooperation in critical and emerging technologies and agreed to convene the next meeting of the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue at the earliest opportunity. They addressed the need to streamline ITAR and export control regulations to facilitate smoother high-tech trade.

Further, Foreign Secretary Misri and US Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor held discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation in critical and emerging technologies. This followed up on the commitments made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States on February 13, 2025, when the COMPACT was launched.

Consistent with the COMPACT vision, detailed inter-agency discussions were held on a range of strategic areas including defence cooperation, energy security, the TRUST initiative, counter-terrorism, the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture, and collaboration through platforms such as the Quad, I2U2, and IMEEC.

(ANI)