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Vance meets with Pope Francis connected Easter Sunday
New Delhi — U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived successful India connected Monday for a four-day sojourn arsenic New Delhi looks to debar U.S. tariffs, negociate a bilateral commercialized woody with Washington and fortify ties with the Trump administration.
Vance volition conscionable Prime Minister Narendra Modi connected the archetypal time of his largely idiosyncratic visit. The 2 leaders are expected to clasp discussions connected bilateral ties outlined successful February erstwhile Modi met President Trump successful Washington.
The U.S. is India's largest trading spouse and the 2 countries are present holding negotiations aimed astatine sealing a bilateral commercialized statement this year.
Shortly aft his accomplishment successful New Delhi, Vance learned that Pope Francis had died. Vance had met with Francis connected Easter Sunday.
Vance posted his condolences connected X, saying,"My bosom goes retired to the millions of Christians each implicit the satellite who loved him. I was blessed to spot him yesterday, though helium was evidently precise ill. But I'll ever retrieve him for the beneath homily helium gave successful the precise aboriginal days of COVID. It was truly rather beautiful. May God remainder his soul."
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and woman Usha Vance get In New Delhi, India connected April 21, 2025.
KENNY HOLSTON / Getty Images
They've acceptable an ambitious people of much than doubling their bilateral commercialized to $500 cardinal by 2030. If achieved, the commercialized woody could importantly heighten economical ties betwixt the 2 countries and perchance fortify diplomatic ties arsenic well.
Vance's archetypal sojourn to New Delhi comes amid the backdrop of Mr. Trump's now-paused tariff program against astir countries, including India. It besides coincides with a rapidly intensifying commercialized warfare betwixt Washington and Beijing, which is New Delhi's main rival successful the region.
Modi and Vance are expected to "review the advancement successful bilateral relations" and "exchange views connected determination and planetary developments of communal interest," India's Foreign Ministry said past week.
"We are precise affirmative that the sojourn volition springiness a further boost to our bilateral ties," spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Vance was greeted with an Indian classical creation show aft helium arrived astatine New Delhi's Palam airdrome connected Monday, pursuing his sojourn to Rome. He is accompanied by his wife, Usha Vance, a practicing Hindu whose parents are from India, on with their children and officials from the U.S. administration.
The mates and their 3 young children visited the Akshardham Hindu temple successful New Delhi aft their accomplishment and are expected to circuit the iconic Taj Mahal monument and the 12th-century Amer Fort - a UNESCO satellite practice tract - during their trip.
Why U.S.-India ties substance
India is simply a adjacent spouse of the U.S. and an important strategical state successful combating the rising power of China successful the Indo-Pacific region.
It's besides portion of "the Quad," which is comprised of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia and is seen arsenic a counterbalance to China's enlargement successful the region. Mr. Trump is expected to be a acme of Quad leaders successful India aboriginal this year.
Modi established a bully moving narration with Mr. Trump during his archetypal word successful office and the 2 leaders are apt to further boost practice betwixt their countries.
He was among the archetypal leaders to sojourn the U.S. and clasp talks with Mr. Trump aft helium returned to the White House. During his visit, Modi hailed a "mega partnership" with the U.S., and kickstarted a dialog process to minimize the imaginable fallout of Mr. Trump's tariffs.
The 2 leaders besides said they planned to turn their defence partnership, with India signaling compliance with the Trump administration's demands, saying it volition acquisition much oil, vigor and defence instrumentality from the U.S.
Regardless, Mr. Trump targeted India with a 26% levy, portion of which has since been paused. However, helium has continued to telephone India a "tariff abuser" and "tariff king."
The commercialized negotiations are particularly urgent for New Delhi arsenic it could beryllium deed hard by Mr. Trump's reciprocal tariffs, peculiarly successful the agriculture, processed food, car components, high-end machinery, aesculapian instrumentality and jewelry sectors.
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