Washington/New Delhi: US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha will visit India early next week and during this time he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This visit will take place amid growing global trade disruptions due to the tariff dispute of the Trump administration. Vance's office said on Wednesday that the US Vice President will be on a visit to Italy and India from April 18 to 24. Usha is the Vice President's wife of Indian-American origin. The Vance couple is expected to bring their three children - Ivan, Vivek and Mirabel - to India and the family will also visit Jaipur and Agra apart from Delhi.
US Embassy issues statement
In a statement issued by the US Embassy in Delhi, his office said, "The Vice President will discuss shared economic and geopolitical priorities with the leaders of each country." "In India, the Vice President will visit Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. The Vice President will hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi," it added. Vance and his family will also attend events at cultural sites in India, the US statement said.
Vance's visit comes after Trump's tariff 'war'
The US Vice President is visiting India against the backdrop of Trump's tariff policy. This policy led to fears of massive trade disruption and global economic slowdown. Days after the reciprocal tariffs were imposed this month, Trump announced a 90-day ban on it for all countries except China. US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz also planned to visit India early next week, but his trip has been postponed, sources said.
Vice President Vance to meet PM Modi
He said that Vance's visit will not be completely private and will also include official elements. It is being told that the US Vice President will hold talks with Prime Minister Modi on April 21, in which various aspects of India-US relations will be discussed, including the issue of tariffs and the ongoing negotiations between the two sides for a bilateral trade agreement.
JD Vance will also visit Italy
In Rome, Vance will hold talks with Italian Prime Minister Giordano Meloni and attend the ceremonies organized before 'Easter Sunday' and will meet Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Vance's visit here comes a few weeks after US National Intelligence Director (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard's visit to India. The DNI held separate meetings with Prime Minister Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.
Bilateral trade talks in India-US
The US President's tariff dispute has fueled fears of a global trade war. After talks between Modi and Trump in Washington DC in February, the two sides had announced that they would negotiate the first tranche of a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by the autumn of 2025.
