U.S. Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, expressed concerns that the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict could temporarily interrupt advancements in India-U.S. trade and connectivity initiatives. He highlighted the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) and the India-Israel-UAE-U.S. (I2U2) groupings as projects that might experience a pause due to the conflict. Ambassador Garcetti, addressing the India-U.S. 2+2 dialogue, emphasized the growing bilateral cooperation and urged both nations to enhance engagement on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The Ambassador refrained from confirming President Biden’s attendance at the virtual G-20 summit and his acceptance of India’s invitation to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade and attend the Quad Summit in January 2024. Garcetti acknowledged the conflict’s impact on the proposed initiatives, stating, “The region is not capable, I would argue the world is not capable of dreaming of building something new when there’s an ongoing war.”
Regarding the delay in U.S. visas for Indians, he assured an increase in staff strength and the potential opening of new consulates in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru.
