Outgoing US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will be holding the third round of initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) dialogue with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday to maintain the strategic convergence between two natural allies and push for high technology transfer to India.While some may think that it will be a farewell call from Sullivan, it is understood that the two sides will discuss how to operationalize the Middle-East Economic Corridor, which has been hit by the conflict in Gaza.
Top officials say that the MEEC is all set to take off with Israel managing to emasculate Iran-backed militias in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria and signatories to Trump backed Abraham Accords are ready to join the economic wagon.
Even though NSA Ajit Doval has had two telephonic conversations with incoming US NSA Mike Waltz, India will lay out the red carpet for NSA Sullivan with Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting him and his national security planners feting him as the outgoing top official of the Biden administration has gone out of his way to provide India access to critical technologies as well as bring India-US close on strategic ties.
During his soon to be completed tenure, Sullivan not only pushed for the F-414 jet engine deal between US defence major GE and India’s HAL, he also supported India on manufacture of semiconductors as an alternate global supply chain to China’s growing dominance. His support for US high-tech telecom technologies, weapon platforms, quantum computing and space for India has been noted by PM Modi and the Indian strategic community.