US Vice President JD Vance arrived in New Delhi on Monday on his first official visit to India. He is accompanied by his wife Usha Vance and their three children – Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel – on this four-day visit.
The Vance family left Rome’s Ciampino airport on an Air Force Two aircraft, which landed at New Delhi’s Palam airbase at around 9:30 am. At the airbase, they were warmly welcomed by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Security has been tightened in Delhi in view of this high-profile visit. Senior officials from the Pentagon and the US State Department are accompanying Vice President Vance. His schedule includes several meetings and cultural programs in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra.
Vance is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today evening. The two leaders are expected to discuss finalising the US-India trade deal and deepening strategic and economic cooperation. The meeting comes at a time when trade tensions are rising between Washington and Beijing.
Vance Family to Visit Akshardham Temple
During the visit, meetings will also include External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and U.S. Ambassador to India Vinay Mohan Kwatra. US Vice President Vance will also visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple and a local handicraft market. The Vance family will be staying at the ITC Maurya Sheraton Hotel.
Visit to Jaipur and Agra Also Planned
On Tuesday, April 22, the Vance family will travel to Jaipur, where they will visit the Amer Fort and other historical and cultural sites. In the evening, Vice President Vance will address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Center, which is expected to be attended by diplomats, policy experts and government officials. His speech will focus on the future direction of India-US relations under the Trump administration.
The next day the family will travel to Agra, where they will visit the Taj Mahal and Shilpgram and return to Jaipur the same evening.
Modi- JD Vance Meet in France
Earlier in February, Prime Minister Modi had met the Vance family in France. He also gave gifts to JD Vance’s two sons and daughter, which Vance said they “loved very much.”
During the meeting, PM Modi gifted Vivek Vance a wooden toy train, Ivan Vance a puzzle based on Indian folk art and Mirabel an eco-friendly alphabet set. Vance had said that the children loved the gifts and added, “I am grateful for this wonderful interaction.”
Before Vance, Tulsi Gabbard Visited India
It is noteworthy that before Vance, US Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard had visited India in March. She was the first cabinet minister of the Trump administration to visit India, where she participated in the security conference and Raisina Dialogue.
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